Tunku Panglima Johor to debut at 24 hours of Le Mans in JMR’s ‘season of icons’
JOHOR BARU: Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) confirmed its most ambitious international campaign to date, with Tunku Panglima Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim set to spearhead the team’s entry into three of the world’s most prestigious endurance races.
Tunku Rahman, who is also known in racing circles as His Highness Prince Jefri Ibrahim, has confirmed his participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, and the Suzuka 1000.
The Malaysian-based outfit unveiled its “season of icons”, in a statement today.
Season of icons is the campaign branding and title used by JMR for its 2026 endurance racing programme.
The campaign’s highlights will be next week’s legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, where JMR will make its debut in partnership with TF Sport, fielding the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R in the world’s most iconic endurance race.
For Prince Jefri, the Le Mans appearance marks a personal milestone after years of structured progression in GT racing since 2019.
He will share driving duties with British racer Ben Green and fellow Le Mans debutant Lorcan Hanafin in a three-driver line-up designed to tackle the gruelling 13.6km Circuit de la Sarthe, where speeds can reach up to 320km/h.
Just two weeks after Le Mans, JMR will head to Belgium for the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, widely regarded as the largest GT3 endurance race in the world.
The Spa entry will see Prince Jefri joined by his brother, Tunku Putera Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim, alongside Australian driver Jordan Love and Green.
The team is aiming to build on its 2025 participation, where it completed the race and now targets a stronger challenge in the highly competitive GT3 category, the statement read.
The campaign will then shift to Japan in September for the Suzuka 1000, where JMR enjoyed a breakthrough performance last season with podium finishes across both Pro and Pro-Am categories.
Prince Jefri, who finished runner-up in the 2025 GT World Challenge Asia series, will once again headline the Pro-Am entry with his brother Tunku Abu Bakar and Green, as the team seeks to convert consistency into victory.
Speaking ahead of the campaign, Prince Jefri said the step up to the world’s premier endurance events reflects years of structured progress and ambition within the team.
“The level we’re racing at now is something I’ve envisioned since I started in 2019. It’s rewarding to achieve the goals we set,” he said.
He added that competing at Le Mans had long been a personal ambition.
“I’ve wanted to line up at Le Mans since I started racing seven years ago. It’s an iconic and challenging track, and I can’t wait to experience it,” he said.
Prince Jefri also said Spa is a race that demands absolute precision across 24 hours of relentless competition.
“It’s the world’s biggest GT3 race and requires everyone working together to achieve success,” he added.
At Suzuka, he said the team is aiming to improve on last year’s podium result, describing it as a stepping stone towards greater success.
“We’re now aiming for something better,” he said.
Team principal and co-driver Tunku Abu Bakar said the programme reflects JMR’s rapid progression from a development-focused outfit into a competitive international endurance contender.
With a packed calendar of three global endurance classics, JMR’s 2026 campaign signals a bold push into the upper tier of international GT racing, which places Johor firmly on the global motorsport map.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
المصدر: New Straits Times
