Aliaksandr Malykhin: We had a clear goal to win the championship

Aliaksandr Malykhin could hardly have hoped for a better debut campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship. With his Manthey PureRxcing team-mates, Joel Sturm and Klaus Bachler, the 37-year-old has secured the inaugural LMGT3 crown with the white-liveried #92 Porsche 911. The trio lead the LMGT3 standings with an unassailable tally of 136 points before the season finale, the Bapco Energies 8 Hours of Bahrain (31 October – 2 November).

“This is a completely new situation for me”, Malykhin told fiawec.com. “I need to speak with my team-mates and the team about what we should do in Bahrain. We should set ourselves some goals, maybe personal ones and maybe help the sister car to achieve theirs. I’m ready to do what the team needs.” With the #91 Manthey EMA 911 in second place, the Porsche-running outfit could complete a rare one-two in the LMGT3 standings.

Between them, the #91 and #92 have clinched four class wins this season – the latter proving the most dominant with six podium finishes from seven rounds so far. No other team has come close to that level of consistency. “We had a clear goal to win this championship, not finish second or third. In the team, the title was the main topic during the whole season,” Malykhin explains.

“Our plan was clear: push from the first weekend”

The Belarusian racer, competing under a Kittitian licence, mentions how winning the 2023-2024 Asian Le Mans Series with Bachler and Sturm provided the perfect launchpad on their way to FIA WEC glory. “During track days and other competitions, we tried to understand how to build a relationship in the team. Joel, Klaus and I understood that we form a very balanced driver line-up. The Asian Le Mans Series is the best place to prepare for WEC, because the rules are very similar. It is a very good series. We had some good races and we won it, which gave us more confidence before WEC.”

Prior to the season-opening Qatar Airways Qatar 1812 km, the #92 trio were put through their paces during test days at Imola. “It was very hard work,” remembers Malykhin. “We had race simulations where we drove six hours in a row. We prepared very well and we were ready, mentally and technically.” Following Manthey PureRxcing’s dominant win at Losail, their opponents were left to play catch up – ultimately in vain. “Our plan was clear: push from the first weekend.”

By leading the championship, Manthey PureRxcing was imposed success ballast, adding increased weight to the #92 Porsche. “That impacted us a lot, but I like this rule”, underlines Malykhin. “It makes the championship more competitive and more interesting for fans. Sometimes we had the quickest car, sometimes the slowest, and sometimes we were in the middle. This is what I like in endurance racing.”

The 37-year-old is also enthusiastic when reflecting upon FIA WEC’s first season with the LMGT3 technical platform, which has generated edge-of-the-seat-racing, thrilling on-track battles and suspenseful finales. “It looks like it’s reliable for everybody. The new systems integrated into the car are very good. I also like the Goodyear tyres. We haven’t seen a lot of punctures this season. At some circuits, it was slow degradation. At others, it was very high and this is how it should be. They are very good tyres for endurance racing and I had a good feeling in the car with them. I don’t know how it looks for other drivers, but I think it’s the right direction.”

As for Malykhin’s own direction, his switch from ‘Bronze’ to ‘Silver’ designation means it doesn’t look like he will defend his LMGT3 crown in 2025. Instead, he intends to take the next step into prototype racing and confirms he will feature in the 2024-2025 Asian Le Mans Series’ LMP2 class. “Then I plan to drive in the European Le Mans Series, and win an entry to drive at Le Mans. That’s my main goal for next season.”