KUALA LUMPUR: After coming close at Monza last month, Jazeman Jaafar went a step better to become the first Asian to win a race in the BlancpainGT Series Endurance Cup at the Silverstone round on Sunday.
Together with HTP Motorsport teammates Maximilian Buhk and Dominik Baumann, the trio's Mercedes-AMG GT3 finished the 83 lap race in a time of three hours, one minute and 35.70 seconds.
Belgian Audi Club Team WRT, comprising brothers Laurens and Dries Vanthoor and Fred Vervisch, were a close second 0.963s adrift in their Audi R8 LMS while GRT Grasser Racing Team (Rolf Ineichen, Jeroen Bleekemolen, Mirko Bortolotti) were third in their Lamborghini Huracan GT3 (+22.163s).
Jazeman, whose team finished second in Italy, said he felt overwhelmed to become the first Asian to win in the series.
"It is an amazing feeling to win a Blancpain GT Series race," said the 23-year-old, whose team had qualified in fourth.
“I pushed really hard to try and capitalise on the opportunity we had.
"The car’s pace was really good and the balance felt strong throughout so I took the chance when it arose and then tried to pull out a gap."
HTP Motorsport now leads the championship with a total of 91 points while Belgian Audi Club Team WRT and Garage 59 are second and third, each on 60 points.
The next round of the series will be held in France at the Paul Ricard Circuit on June 24-25.