Insight: The 'Global' Ambitions of China's Newest GT3 Team

A look into the quickly growing Phantom Global Racing operation and its long-term targets...

In the space of six months, a little-known Chinese team has gone from near-total obscurity outside of its home country to being regarded as a potential contender in the biggest GT3 race in the world. 

And according to team director Martin Young, conquering the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa is only the start of Phantom Global Racing’s ambitions.

The team set out its stall in its first race under its current banner, the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour, when it finished a creditable fourth with its customer Porsche 911 GT3 R with the help of Timo Bernhard’s Team 75 outfit. 

Now it has confirmed plans to enter the centerpiece round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge in July with Porsche factory driver Thomas Preining spearheading its driver lineup alongside Jaxon Evans and Joel Eriksson.

That comes on top of its main programs in Fanatec GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS, where it has three entries, and Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, where it fields no fewer than six cars.

All in all, it adds up to a hugely ambitious first year for the team’s Phantom Global identity, having first launched in 2018 under the ‘Phantom Pro Racing’ banner.

“We had to make a decision right at the beginning, whether we build up to the position we want to be in, or just go for it immediately and try to maintain that level,” explains Young.

“Once Timo [Bernhard] and myself came on board, we all agreed that we’ve been successful in big projects and that we should start off by doing Bathurst. We’re on track to do the three-year goals in our first year, which was to compete in the IGTC and to get a team title sponsor [the team landed a partnership with BWT in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia]. 

“All of the equipment we bought is at the level you need to be a top GT3 team. From this point of view we didn’t hold back. We know we have to race against Manthey, WRT, GruppeM, so we have to be at the same level as them to compete against them. 

“The idea was to prove we are a global team, and not just Asian-based, a bit like with KCMG, which has a presence in Asia but also the rest of the world. Doing the big races in GT3s like Spa and Bathurst shows the intention of the team to go forward.

“After showing a good performance at Bathurst and with the lineup we have for that race, we could be in contention in the last hour at Spa. That is what we are aiming for.”