LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM'S
2010 SUPER GT INTERNATIONAL SERIES
RD. 4 SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
19th – 20th June 2010

PREVIEW

As the 2010 Super GT Series season approaches its mid-way mark, the popular Japanese race series will make their way to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia for round four of the series next weekend. The only round that takes place outside of Japan, the Super GT International Series Malaysia will see the 2009 series defending champions LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM’S in action at the team’s “home away from home” circuit courtesy of the team’s partners, PETRONAS.

With three rounds completed in the series, the LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM’S drivers’ Andre Lotterer and Juichi Wakisaka currently lead the series standings in both the drivers’ (34 points) and team (43 points) categories, respectively. The team’s back-to-back podium finishes in the past two rounds at Okayama (3rd place) and Fuji (2nd place) also translates into a significant weight handicap for the team coming into the round at Sepang.

Designed to equalize the performance of the competing cars, the Super GT regulations also help to ensure close competition between the teams on-track. For the LEXUS TEAM PETRONAS TOM’S, the 68 kg handicap weight in relative terms represents a significant handicap.

Masanori Sekiya, Team Director
“As the majority of the other cars are carrying less handicap weight compared to us, we can expect this race to be a very challenging one for us. Though everyone is carrying a handicap, the 68 kg additional weight imposed on our car means Andre and Juichi will have the heaviest car on the grid. Add the hot and humid conditions here at Sepang, the difficulty factor is increased. Despite the obvious challenges, the team and drivers are extremely motivated, especially when we look at the title fight as a whole. Moreover, this is a special round for us, as it is the home-ground of our title partner PETRONAS and we hope we can give our fans something to look forward to.”

Andre Lotterer (DEU)
“I am looking forward to coming back to Malaysia, especially as this is the one round that takes us out of Japan. Not only does the entire Super GT fraternity get to come out and experience a different culture and environment; it is also a nice break from the routine we’re used to in Japan. For us, this round is very special because in the past couple of years, we now see it as our “home” track, because of the relationship with our team partners, PETRONAS. The feeling and level support is different and that makes Sepang a really nice experience for us. It also gives us an additional boost of motivation to perform at our best, especially coming here with a massive handicap! So, we will definitely give it everything for our home fans here.”

Juichi Wakisaka (JPN)
“Although I have been to Sepang many times over the past few years; since 2008 coming to Sepang now is like coming back to our “home” race because of our partners, PETRONAS. So, this makes it very special to everyone on the team. This year, we come back to our “home” race with a significant disadvantage because of the heavy weight handicap. For sure it makes it a tough round for us, but this does not stop us from putting up a good fight, as always. On top of that, I like racing at the Sepang track as it is quite varied. It has a nice mix of really fast and slow corners. While this is interesting for us drivers, it’s also interesting for the spectators.”

Team Information

Stats and Facts