Sandy Kraokaew Stuvik and teammate Iaro Razanakoto endured a challenging third round of the Thailand Super Series season at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit, showing flashes of strong pace and race-winning potential before ultimately securing a podium finish with B-Quik Absolute Racing.
The weekend began positively with Razanakoto qualifying fourth in Q1. The young Madagascan driver delivered a clean performance and continued to gain valuable experience behind the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo. Stuvik followed up in Q2 with third place, extracting the maximum from the package despite feeling the team lacked the outright pace required to challenge for pole position.
Saturday’s opening race, held under the lights at Sepang, unfortunately ended in disappointment for the #888 crew. Razanakoto took the start and navigated the opening laps cautiously as he adapted to the unique demands of night racing. As his confidence grew and he began pushing forward, contact between two B-Quik Absolute Racing entries brought an early end to the race for both the #888 and sister #26 Porsche.
The incident meant Stuvik never had the opportunity to take over for his stint, leaving the team to focus on repairing significant damage overnight. Thanks to a tremendous effort from the B-Quik Absolute Racing mechanics, both cars were rebuilt and ready to race again on Sunday morning.
Race 2 provided an opportunity for redemption, and Stuvik wasted no time making his intentions clear. Starting from sixth on the grid due to a penalty gained from yesterday’s collision, he immediately became embroiled in an intense battle among the professional drivers at the front of the field. As the race unfolded, a puncture for the leading #26 Porsche opened the fight for victory, with Stuvik running at the sharp end and exchanging positions in a series of clean, hard-fought battles.
By the time the mandatory pit window arrived, the #888 Audi was firmly in contention. Benefitting from the absence of any success penalty, the team emerged from the pit stops in the race lead, placing Razanakoto in a strong position to fight for victory during the closing stages.
Despite leading comfortably at times, the second stint proved difficult as traffic management and the pressure of defending the lead took their toll. Razanakoto fought hard to bring the car home, but time lost in the closing laps allowed rivals to close the gap and eventually move ahead. The pair ultimately crossed the line in third place, securing valuable championship points and salvaging a podium result from what had otherwise been a difficult weekend.
“There were definitely some positives to take away,” said Stuvik. “I was happy with my pace and the way we approached Race 2. We had some good battles at the front and, for a period, looked capable of fighting for the win. That’s encouraging, even if the final result leaves us feeling that more was possible.”
Stuvik also paid tribute to the efforts of the B-Quik Absolute Racing crew, who worked late into the night to repair both damaged B-Quik cars following Saturday’s race.
“A huge thank you to everyone at B-Quik Absolute Racing for the incredible job they did after Race 1. The effort that went into getting both cars back on track for Sunday was massive. I’d also like to thank B-Quik and all of our partners for their continued support.”
The Thailand Super Series paddock will now shift its focus to Chang International Circuit in Buriram, which will host the next round of the championship at the end of October following the announcement of Formula 1’s return to Malaysia. Stuvik and Razanakoto will be aiming to build on the speed shown at Sepang and finish the season strongly.