Team Malaysia is fielding a three-driver star lineup to compete for individual and team titles at the 2026 Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) Asia Esport GT Championship Finals taking place this Nov 14-15 at Jiospace in Petaling Jaya.
The event, organized by Toyota Motor Asia (TMA), will bring together some of the region’s best simulator racers representing five countries – Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
The competition will see racers go head-to-head using Sony PlayStation’s Gran Turismo 7 platform for the honour of winning the individual and team titles and a combined prize pool of USD31,000 (approximately RM130,000).
Team Malaysia lineup this year will be led by Taj Izrin Aiman Taj Madira, Nabil Azlan and Ethen Low.
Taj Izrin Aiman is the reigning Asian Games gold medalist, the 2024 TGR Asia champion and four-time TGR Malaysia eRacing champion. This will be his seventh appearance for the Malaysian team in the regional championship.
“Winning the Asian Games gold medal will certainly become a huge boost of confidence for me going into the 2026 TGR Asia Esport GT Championship and for another chance to represent Malaysia.
“Despite this achievement, I approach each competition individually, knowing very well that I will be up against some of Southeast Asia’s best simulator racers.
“The goal will of course will be to perform at my best and hopefully reclaim the individual title I won in 2024 and help to secure Malaysia the overall team title,” said 27-year-old Taj Izrin Aiman.
Nabil will be counting on the momentum of being recently crowned the gold medalist at the Asia-Pacific Motorsports Championship (APMC) in Thailand, to propel him to his first ever TGR Asia Championship title.
The 24-year-old who is also the 2025 TGR Malaysia eRacing Pro champion and winner of the E-Motorsport Competitor of the Year award said: “As a simulator racer who was given a chance by UMW Toyota Motor to transition into real world racing and subsequently winning the Rookie and Sporting Class titles in the Vios Challenge, the personal goal now will be to return to simulator racing and win a title representing Toyota.”
Meanwhile, 16-year-old Low will only be making his second international appearance and representing Malaysia after reaching the semi-final stage in his category at the APMC before ending his run.
“It is a huge honour to represent not only Malaysia but UMW Toyota Motor in this prestigious event. I realize I will be in the company of very competitive and experienced simulator racers but I am confident that if I hold my nerve, I have as good a chance of winning as anyone,” said the 2025 TGR Malaysia eRacing Junior champion.
Low is also currently one of the Rookie drivers competing in the 2026 Vios Challenge under GAZOO Racing-UMW Toyota Motor’s Young Talent Development Program. His talent, tenacity and determination however, has clearly overshadowed his young age, even in real racing where he is now placed joint first place in the Rookie Class with two races remaining.
Toyota’s regional simulator racing competition has transitioned through four major names since its 2018 debut, initially known as the GR Velocity Esports Championship.
From 2019 to 2020, the event was renamed as the Toyota GR Supra GT Cup before subsequently evolving into the GR GT Cup Asia Championship in 2021.
This year’s competition – the 9th successive year it is being held – takes on a new identity as the TGR Asia Esport GT Championship.
The tournament serves as Toyota’s premium scouting ground to identify regional simulation talent, giving the ultimate winner a direct pathway to represent Asia on the global stage at the World Finals
This year’s Asia final will see drivers taking on a 25-minute race at the Fuji Speedway behind the wheel of a Super Formula.
Also being held is an Esports Team Race where competitors will pilot a Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept car in a 20-minute race along the Grand Valley – Highway 1.
For more information, visit: www.toyota.com.my/en/tgrmalaysia
