He's finished second at Le Mans — twice. Now Sean Gelael is finally racing on Indonesian soil, and the stakes feel entirely different.

The 29-year-old Jakarta-born driver will compete at the GT World Challenge Asia 2026 Mandalika Series from May 1 to 3 at Sirkuit Internasional Pertamina Mandalika in Lombok — making him the only Indonesian driver on the grid at one of Asia's most competitive international GT3 racing events.

What Is the GT World Challenge Asia?

GT World Challenge Asia — commonly abbreviated as GTWCA — is the most competitive international GT3 motorsport championship in Asia, bringing together professional drivers from across the globe to race in high-performance production-based racing cars. The 2026 Mandalika round marks a historic first: Indonesia hosting a round of the series, with a homegrown driver leading the charge.

Think of it as the continent's answer to the Blancpain GT Series in Europe — same car class, same caliber of driver, but set against the dramatic coastal backdrop of Lombok.

Why Sean Gelael at Mandalika Matters

Sean's résumé reads like a highlight reel that most drivers spend careers chasing. He took runner-up honors in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 2021 in the LMP2 class, finished second at Le Mans 24 Hours in 2021 (LMP2), and then came back and did it again — second place at Le Mans 24 Hours 2024 in the LMGT3 class.

What makes Mandalika different isn't the competition. It's the crowd. For the first time in his professional career, Sean races with 100,000 Indonesian fans potentially within earshot of his engine note.

Racing at your home circuit sounds like an advantage. It isn't always. The pressure of national expectation has a weight that no telemetry can measure. 

The Surprising Number Behind His Career

Here's something most casual fans miss: Le Mans is a 24-hour race covering over 5,000 kilometers. Finishing second — twice, in two different car classes — puts Sean in rare company globally, let alone in Southeast Asia. No other Indonesian driver has stood on that podium.

Who Is Backing Sean at Mandalika?

Sean enters the Mandalika round as Brand Ambassador for Pertamax Turbo and SPBU Pertamina, Indonesia's national energy brands. His racing suit — white with red Pertamina Fastron and Pertamax Turbo livery — is essentially a moving Indonesian flag at 200km/h.

The partnership isn't just commercial. It signals a broader push by Indonesian national brands to associate themselves with elite international sport, not just domestic sponsorships.

What to Expect on Race Weekend

Mandalika's 4.3km circuit was designed with international motorsport in mind — wide run-off areas, elevation changes, and a long straight that suits the raw power of GT3 machinery. The smell of race fuel and burned rubber over Lombok's humid air will greet spectators from the moment they walk in.

For Sean, the circuit is familiar enough from MotoGP broadcasts. Racing it in a Ferrari-class GT3 car is something else entirely.