From Nürburgring to Thailand: Buus Targets Points in GT World Challenge Asia

It’s a busy time for the Danish Porsche factory driver, who wraps up a successful Nürburgring prep and heads to Thailand to help Origine Motorsport score crucial points in the GT World Challenge Asia championship.

Bastian Buus has had a packed schedule in recent weeks. The 20-year-old Porsche factory driver has spent considerable time at the Nürburgring preparing for the legendary 24-hour race in three weeks’ time, where he’ll be competing with Dinamic GT. This weekend, however, the Dane is in action at Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand, where he lines up for the third round of GT World Challenge Asia with Origine Motorsport.

While the team’s full-season driver, Lu Wei, competes in every round of the championship, Buus shares driving duties with fellow Porsche driver Alessio Picariello, who substituted for the Dane during the second round in Indonesia earlier this month. Now, Buus is back behind the wheel of the team’s well-known purple Porsche 911 GT3 R, and the objective for the weekend is clear.

“We need to score as many points as possible to help push Lu (Wei, ed.) up the Pro-Am standings. We’re unfortunately a bit behind after a tough start to the season, but the team is coming off a race win in Indonesia, so it’s all about carrying that momentum forward. The team is always good at delivering a competitive car, so I’m feeling pretty optimistic going into the weekend,” says Bastian Buus.

The Dane is also confident when it comes to preparations for the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, which takes place on June 21–22. The race is one of the absolute highlights of the season, and the level of preparation reflects that. Buus and the rest of the crew from the Pirelli-backed Porsche team Dinamic GT have already completed three endurance races at the iconic German track this spring – including last weekend’s two four-hour races at the ADAC 24h Qualifiers, which served as the final test before the main event.

“It was a solid weekend overall, and we were lucky with the weather, as it gave us a chance to test on wet tyres. The 24-hour race is known for its unpredictable conditions, so having a setup that’s been tested in all scenarios is a huge advantage,” says Buus.

“In terms of results, we weren’t exactly where we wanted to be. We lacked pace in qualifying and ended up P13 and P11, but thanks to strong strategy and two clean races, we finished fourth and seventh. Our main focus was to get through without any mistakes – which is crucial in a 24-hour race – so overall, it was a very good preparation, and I feel we’re ready,” he concludes.

The third round of GT World Challenge Asia kicks off with official practice sessions on Friday, followed by qualifying for both of the weekend’s 60-minute races on Saturday. Race one goes green on Saturday, May 31, at 15:00 local time (10:00 CEST), while race two gets underway on Sunday, June 1, at 10:45 (05:45 CEST). Both races will be streamed live on YouTube.