Motul and Craft-Bamboo Racing form Esports partnership for 2020
Four Mercedes-AMG GT3’s to feature custom Motul designs
Motul drivers to contest in Real-PRO, Real-AM and Sim-PRO categories
GT World Challenge Asia Esports Championship
Motul joins forces with Craft-Bamboo Racing for the inaugural GT World Challenge Asia Esports Championship 2020. Craft-Bamboo Racing confirms entry of four Motul-liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3s in the 5 round championship season, with an all-Asian driver line up that will contest in three separate classes for the 2020 esports series.
Motul, a renowned French manufacturer of high-tech oil and lubricants for various automotive applications, is a name synonymous with performance. For over 150 years, Motul has been recognized as a leading lubricant brand, constantly innovating and improving on the quality of their products through their motorsport involvement.
As real-world race events are on hold across Asia due to the pandemic, this partnership for the upcoming GT World Challenge Asia Esports Championship reinforces Motul’s support for Asian motorsport and on-going commitment to racing. The four virtual Mercedes-AMG GT3s sporting the classic red and white Motul colours will be driven by Melvin Moh, Alex Liang, Kevin Tse and Charles Theseira.
Melvin Moh, an official instructor at the Mercedes-AMG Academy, finished 2nd at the 2016 Sepang 12 Hours and also previously contested the real GT World Challenge Asia series for Craft-Bamboo Racing. Alex Liang is a proven GT race winner, taking the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe Pro-AM championship in 2017, and a multiple race winner in the International GT Open series. Moh and Liang will be racing in the Real-PRO category.
Macau’s Kevin Tse is the most recent Macau Grand Prix winner in the GT4 category, and is also a former Asian Le Mans Champion with Craft-Bamboo Racing back in 2014. Tse will be contesting the full championship, with a clear target of claiming the inagural championship Real-AM title.
Leading the charge for Craft-Bamboo Racing in the Sim-PRO class will be professional simulator driver Charles Theseira of Singapore. Theseira is an accomplished simulator driver having finished on the podium in the 2012 and 2014 Gran Turismo Asia Cup, as well as representing Singapore in the 2019 FIA Motorsport Games.
SRO Motorsports Group’s officially sanctioned sim racing franchise, the GT World Challenge Asia Esports Championship presented by Tarmac Works, begins on October 6th at Monza in Italy, followed by rounds at Laguna Seca, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and finishing at Suzuka in December. Following the success of its other esports series in Europe and America, SRO is now fully focused on providing Asia’s real-world drivers, pro sim racers and general public with a professionally managed and highly competitive online racing environment.
About Motul
Motul is a world-class French company specialised in the formulation, production and distribution of high-tech engine lubricants (two-wheelers, cars and other vehicles) as well as lubricants for industry via its Motul Tech activity.
Unanimously recognised for more than 150 years for the quality of its products, innovation capacity and involvement in the field of competition, Motul is also recognised as a specialist in synthetic lubricants. As early as 1971, Motul was the first lubricant manufacturer to pioneer the formulation of a 100% synthetic lubricant, issued from the aeronautical industry, making use of esters technology: 300V lubricant.
Motul is a partner to many manufacturers and racing teams in order to further their technological development in motorsports. It has invested in many international competitions as an official supplier for teams in: Road racing, Trials, Enduro, Endurance, Superbike, Supercross, Rallycross, World GT1, 24 Hours of Le Mans (cars and motorcycles), 24 Hours of Spa, Le Mans Series, Andros Trophy, Paris-Dakar, 8 Hours of Suzuka, Bol d’Or, Daytona 200-mile motorcycle race.
About Craft-Bamboo Racing
Craft-Bamboo Racing is an official performance team of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, competing on motorsport’s world stage in sprint and endurance events around the year. Enjoying a multitude of success through numerous race programs, Craft-Bamboo Racing’s achievements are a testament to the team’s ability to push its boundaries.
The team has years of world championship experience and is truly a unique company in the global motorsports industry, bridging motorsport between Europe and Asia. With its headquarters in Hong Kong, and workshops in Sepang and Silverstone, the company is uniquely positioned to deliver global race programs and marketing activations.
QUOTES
Jessica Lim | Motul Asia Pacific - Head of Marketing APAC
“It’s exciting to join forces with Craft-Bamboo Racing for the first ever GT World Challenge Asia Esports Championship. We are all about leading breakthrough on and off track, so this partnership is perfect. As we recognised the virtual circuit is equally as fierce as it is in real motorsport and Motul as a brand that makes ‘oil for champions’, we are honoured to be supporting top Asian talents; our four drivers, Melvin, Alex, Kevin and Charles will be contesting in three classes for the 2020 season. We are definitely looking forward to this exciting partnership with Craft-Bamboo Racing and can’t wait for the first round at Monza. We look forward to the virtual flag off!”
Darryl O’Young | Craft-Bamboo Racing – Director
“It’s been a long time since the team has been able to go racing, but this is the current situation so we must adapt in order to compete. I’m really glad our regular race series, the GT World Challenge Asia, has organised this competition as it has brought together over 45 real world race drivers and several real world race teams to compete on an esport platform. This is totally new for us, but we will work hard to win, as this is always our target no matter where or how we compete. We are proud to have Motul partner us in this project, this is just a start of our cooperation, and we look forward to maximizing the cooperation when real racing returns to the forefront, so we can use the Motul lubricant products to push our GT3 race cars to the limit. For now, we will count on their support to help us deliver the victories online. It is fantastic for these four drivers to compete with these iconic Motul designs and it truly highlights Motul’s commitment to motorsport.”
