Kuala Lumpur: Excitement for the inaugural 12H Malaysia has grown following confirmation of leading Tamil actor Ajith Kumar’s participation in the Dec 5-6 endurance race at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC).
Ajith, who commands a strong fanbase in Malaysia, will lead his team - Ajith Redant Racing - in the GT3 class alongside Belgian brothers Ayrton and Yannick Redant, as well as Kobe de Breucker, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
The two-day event marks the first-ever Far East stop for the 2025/2026 24H Series Middle East Trophy, with an expected grid of 21 cars featuring teams and drivers from Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Race organisers Creventic confirmed Ajith’s participation to Bernama, while social media posts showed the 54-year-old arriving at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on Monday.
The endurance race is expected to attract not only motorsports fans but also supporters of the Tamil actor.
The Sepang round will feature a competitive field, including Malaysia’s Viper Niza Racing, which will enter a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo piloted by Douglas Khoo, Melvin Moh and Dominic Ang.
According to the official programme, qualifying will take place at 4 pm on Friday, ahead of the 12H Malaysia race on Saturday morning. Ajith is also scheduled to make his Le Mans prototype debut at the SIC during the Asian Le Mans Series – 4 Hours of Sepang – on Dec 13 and 14.
He will drive in the LMP3 category with Team Virage in a Ligier-Toyota, racing alongside India’s first Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan.
According to the organisers, the Asian Le Mans Series will feature a 48-car field comprising 16 LMP2, 10 LMP3 and 22 LMGT3 entries, reflecting an increase of about 15 per cent from last year’s event at the SIC.
Ajith, widely known as “Thala” among fans, made his lead actor debut in Amaravathi (1993) and rose to prominence through films such as Aasai, Kadhal Kottai, Vaalee, Kandukondain Kandukondain, Billa and Mankatha.
His action roles and screen presence have established him as one of South India’s most recognisable film personalities.
