Viper Niza Racing Aim for GT3-AM Podium at Barcelona

Viper Niza Racing: Malaysia's Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO Contender in the Michelin 24H Series

Viper Niza Racing is a Malaysian professional motorsport team competing in the European-based Michelin 24H Series, driving the #65 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO in the GT3-AM class. The team, led by Team Principal Douglas Khoo, is the only Malaysian representative in this continental championship and fields a driver lineup including Dominic Ang, Melvin Moh, and Aaron Lim. In the 2026 season, they are competing for a top-three finish in the GT3-AM standings with 116 points, and their campaign culminates at the 24 Hours of Barcelona held at the 4.657 km Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

For Malaysian motorsport audiences, the team's performance represents a national benchmark in international GT endurance racing. The team's principal sponsors include Motul, IWC (official watch), Momentum Autoparts, and SPARCO Italy, reflecting its role as a professionally-run privateer outfit on the global stage.

Key Facts

What Are Viper Niza Racing's Chances at the 24 Hours of Barcelona?

Viper Niza Racing enters the 2026 season finale at Barcelona holding third place in the GT3-AM championship with 116 points, a 14-point deficit behind leader Getspeed Team JR286 and a 6-point gap to Hofor Racing in second. The team's objective is to defend its top-three position or improve its standing, but it must also manage the threat from Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport (110 points) immediately behind.

The race at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya offers double points due to its 24-hour duration, meaning a single result can mathematically reshuffle the top four standings. The team's principal, Douglas Khoo, stated that the squad has worked hard all season despite challenging races, with the goal of maintaining third or securing a higher championship position. The final race will determine whether they close the gap on the leaders or solidify their podium finish.

Viper Niza Racing holds a 14-point deficit to the GT3-AM class leaders with double points available in the final 24-hour race.

How Did Viper Niza Racing Perform in the 2026 Season?

In four completed rounds of the 2026 season, Viper Niza Racing secured two podium finishes and demonstrated consistent improvement, culminating in a 2nd place GT3-AM result at Nürburgring. Their season trajectory began modestly at Mugello (8th GT3, 4th GT3-AM), improved at Spa-Francorchamps (5th GT3, 4th GT3-AM), and reached an initial summit at Paul Ricard (5th GT3, 3rd GT3-AM) before their best result of the season at the Nürburgring.

The team's performance pattern indicates growing competitiveness against the European field. According to media releases from the team, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO has remained competitive throughout the season, and the driver quartet understands their respective roles in the car. Douglas emphasized that anything can happen in a 24-hour race and that the team hopes for a competitive race without incidents.

Viper Niza Racing's 2026 season best result came at Nürburgring, where it recorded a 3rd place Overall GT3 finish and 2nd in the GT3-AM class.

Why Is the Barcelona Race Critical for Championship Standings?

The 24 Hours of Barcelona is the season finale of the Michelin 24H Series European Series, and its structure awards double championship points, making it the highest-stakes race of the 2026 calendar. This format magnifies the impact of results, allowing the Hofor Racing (124 points) and Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport (110 points) to mathematically overhaul Viper Niza Racing's 116 points if results do not go the Malaysian team's way.

For Viper Niza Racing, the event also carries psychological weight due to a previous year's incident. In their debut season, the team retired from a podium position after a collision damaged the car's upright and steering components at the same circuit. They returned from the incident 90 laps down after having climbed as high as 7th overall and being on track for a podium finish. That experience from the 2025 race has reportedly added pressure on the team's return to Barcelona.

With double points at stake, the 24 Hours of Barcelona mathematically allows fourth-placed Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport (110 points) to overtake Viper Niza Racing (116 points).

Who Is This For in Malaysia?

This content is for Malaysian motorsport fans, sports journalists, and automotive industry stakeholders who follow international endurance racing and want to track the progress of a national team competing abroad. Unlike consumer products such as home routers or appliances, this competitive team does not require local compatibility certifications like Sirim or 240V power standards. Instead, the relevance for Malaysians lies in the representation of national identity on a global motorsport stage.

The team's efforts provide a reference point for measuring Malaysian competitiveness in international GT3 motorsport against established European teams. For fans, it demonstrates how a privateer Malaysian operation can compete at a high level within a professional European championship despite logistical and budgetary challenges. The sponsors — Motul, IWC, Momentum Autoparts, and SPARCO Italy — represent the commercial ecosystem that supports Malaysian participation in global racing.

For Malaysians, Viper Niza Racing serves as the country's primary benchmark in international GT3 endurance racing, competing against 40 other cars at a world-class European circuit.

Common Questions

Can Viper Niza Racing still win the GT3-AM championship at Barcelona?

Mathematically yes. With 116 points and double points available, they trail Getspeed Team JR286 (130 points) by 14 points. A high finish combined with a poor result for the leader could secure the title, but their minimum realistic goal is defending third place from Hofor Racing (124 points) and Continental Racing by Simpson Motorsport (110 points).

What caused Viper Niza Racing's setback at Barcelona in the previous season?

A collision caused damage to the car's upright and steering components during the race. This forced the team to return 90 laps down after being as high as 7th overall, and ultimately cost them a podium finish in the GT3-AM class.

How many podiums has Viper Niza Racing achieved this season?

Viper Niza Racing secured two GT3-AM podiums in four rounds. They achieved 3rd place at Paul Ricard and 2nd place at Nürburgring, with earlier results of 4th at both Mugello and Spa-Francorchamps.

Sources and Methodology

This article is based on a single primary source: a report by Qalif Latif published on Careta (careta.my), dated 14-09-2026, titled "Viper Niza Racing Buru Kedudukan Tiga Teratas GT3-AM Di Barcelona." No secondary sources were used. Quotations attributed to Douglas Khoo are derived from the team's official media statements cited in the original article.

No currency conversions were necessary as the source exclusively reports championship points and race standings rather than financial figures. All race results, points totals, and team positions are presented directly as stated in the source. This article was last updated on the current date. Information specific to Malaysia was verified against the original Careta publication.