Malaysia wins gold at Asia-Pacific Motorsport Championship 2026 – Nabil Azlan dominates Assetto Corsa esports category

Malaysia has secured another gold medal in international sim racing, with Nabil Azlan emerging victorious in the Assetto Corsa category at the Asia-Pacific Motorsport Championship (APMC) 2026, held at the Bira Circuit in Pattaya, Thailand.

The 24-year-old Malaysian delivered an impressive performance throughout Saturday's competition, winning his Quarterfinal and Semifinal races before going on to claim victory in the Final.

The result marks another milestone for Nabil, who previously won silver in the iRacing category at APMC 2025. This time, he went one better, bringing home gold for Malaysia.

His victory also continues Malaysia's impressive record in esports at the championship, with the country having secured at least one gold medal in the discipline at every edition since the inaugural event in 2023.

Iqbal Suji finishes sixth on APMC debut

Joining Nabil in the Assetto Corsa category was fellow Malaysian Iqbal Suji, who made his first appearance at the Asia-Pacific Motorsport Championship.

The 28-year-old successfully navigated the qualifying rounds to earn a place in the Final, eventually finishing sixth overall against some of the region's best sim racers.

It was an encouraging debut for Iqbal, particularly given the level of competition at this year's championship.

Tough luck for Malaysia's iRacing representatives

Over in the iRacing category, Malaysia was represented by Raja Amirul Syauqat and Ethen Low, both making their APMC debuts.

Raja, 22, successfully progressed to the Final and qualified seventh on the starting grid.

However, his chances of a strong result were dealt a major blow following a collision involving an Australian competitor, which dropped him to the back of the field.

Despite battling to recover lost ground, including several laps fighting with the Australian driver, Raja could only recover one position to finish ninth overall.

Meanwhile, 16-year-old Ethen Low, the youngest competitor in the esports discipline, endured a difficult first outing on the international stage.

Ethen managed to progress to the iRacing Semifinals, but a setback during the competition ended his hopes of reaching the Final.

Nevertheless, reaching the Semifinals at just 16 years old represents a promising start for the young Malaysian, who gained valuable experience competing against established international sim racers.

Four Malaysians selected through national qualifiers

The Malaysian squad

All four Malaysian representatives earned their places in the national team after finishing among the top two competitors in their respective national qualifying events, sanctioned by the Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM).

The Malaysian squad competed against esports athletes from more than 15 countries, highlighting the level of competition at this year's event.

The team represented Malaysia under MAM, with support from Esports Integrated (ESI) and the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) through the Malaysia Esports Accelerator Programme (MEAP).

Hosted by the Royal Automobile Association of Thailand (RAAT), the Asia-Pacific Motorsport Championship 2026 took place from October 23 to 25, bringing together competitors from across the region in five motorsport disciplines.