Starting 14th on the grid among 28 cars, Malaysia’s Viper Niza Racing achieved a great 4th place in the GT3-AM Class during the opening round of the 2026 Michelin 24H Series European Series at Mugello, Italy.
The team of Douglas Khoo, Dominic Ang, and Melvin Moh in the #65 green Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO also finished 8th in GT3 and 10th overall, completing 344 laps.
The 12 Hours of Mugello consisted of two races – Race 1 took place over five-and-a-half hours on Saturday, followed by a lockdown period before Race 2, which lasted another six-and-a-half hours on Sunday.
Viper Niza Racing began Race 1 from the 14th position, with Ang tasked to start the race.
Race 1 started off smoothly, but there were a few safety procedures that slowed the cars down. The team faced a puncture that required an unexpected pit stop. They completed the first part of the race in 12th overall and 5th in the GT3-AM Class, having completed 156 laps before the break.
Ang again started Race 2, which was held in both dry and wet conditions. A collision with another car caused another puncture, leading to another unscheduled stop, costing the team time. All three drivers performed well in Race 2, with Moh finishing the race in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO after the 12 hours.
“We just missed out on a podium finish due to an unexpected puncture, but it was certainly a strong result to kickstart the 2026 season. There’s a long way to go with another four rounds, and the most important thing is to continue scoring valuable points that hopefully will help to consolidate an overall podium finish at the end of the season,” said Team Principal and lead driver Khoo.
“With points in the bag, we now need to keep our heads down and focus on the task at hand which is the overall championship.”
The all-Malaysian team will compete in all five rounds of the Michelin 24H Series. The next race will be the tough 12 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, happening from April 17-19.
The overall race win went to the Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II from Sainteloc Junior Team, while ARC Bratislava and their Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO won in the GT3-AM Class.
Viper Niza Racing is backed by Motul, IWC as its Official Watch Brand, Momentum Autoparts, and SPARCO Italy.