Antares Au
Hong Kong racing driver (born 1979)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Antares Au (Chinese: 區天駿; Jyutping: Keoi1 Tin1 Zeon3; born 24 March 1979[1]) is a Hong Kong racing driver and business executive. He is the 2024–25 Asian Le Mans Series GT champion and the 2024 Intercontinental GT Challenge Independent Cup champion.[2][3]
| Antares Au 區天駿 | |
|---|---|
Au in 2024 | |
| Nationality | |
| Born | 24 March 1979 |
| FIA World Endurance Championship career | |
| Debut season | 2026 |
| Current team | Garage 59 |
| Categorisation | |
| Car number | 10 |
| Starts | 3 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Poles | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Championship titles | |
| 2024–25 2024 | Asian Le Mans Series – GT Intercontinental GT Challenge – Independent Cup |
Business career
Au is a graduate of Columbia University and a financial investor by training. He is a founding member of Ares SSG Capital Management, a pan-Asian private credit investor and subsidiary of Los Angeles-based alternative asset manager Ares Management, and headed its investment activities in Greater China since its establishment in 2009.[4][5] He retired from finance in 2023 to pursue endurance racing full-time.[6]
Racing career
Porsche Carrera Cup beginnings
Au began his racing career by competing Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in 2017.[7] His debut in GT3 competition came in 2019, when he finished fourth in-class at the Dubai 24 Hours with Hong Kong drivers Frank Yu, Jonathan Hui and Kevin Tse.[8]
Early GT3 success (2021–2022)
Au's first successes in GT3 started in 2021, when he won the inaugural 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi with co-driver Chris Froggatt.[9] Au also made his full-season debut in the GT class of Asian Le Mans, racing for Herberth Motorsport alongside Porsche factory driver Klaus Bachler.[10] He would continue to race for Herberth that same year at the 24 Hours of Spa with co-drivers Robert Renauer and Alfred Renauer.[11]
In 2022, Au returned to Asian Le Mans and Herberth Motorsport, teaming up with Bachler for the second year running and with the addition of Ye Yifei.[12][13] The trio finished second in the season finale at Yas Marina Circuit.[14][15] Au also returned to the 24 Hours of Spa, joining Jaxon Evans, Dylan Pereira and Kevin Tse at Herberth Motorsport.[16]
Notable wins in major endurance races (2023–present)
Au began to achieve more prominent results in 2023, when he won the Spa round of the International GT Open championship co-driving with Matteo Cairoli in Pro-Am class.[17] Au returned to the top step of the podium at the 2023 24 Hours of Spa, when he started from overall pole position and won the Bronze class with Cairoli, Tim Heinemann and Jannes Fittje, becoming the first driver from Hong Kong to win this historic race.[18][19][20] Later the same year, Au debuted at the 2023 Indianapolis 8 Hours with Porsche factory driver Laurin Heinrich and Alfred Renauer from pole position and finished second in Pro-Am class.[21][22] In the last race of 2023, he finished third in-class at the Gulf 12 Hours with Cairoli and Heinemann.[23]
In 2024, Au debuted at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring with Lionspeed GP,[24] winning the SP9 Pro-Am class with Patric Niederhauser, Indy Dontje and Patrick Kolb, becoming the first driver from Hong Kong to win the GT category at Nurburgring 24H.[25][26][27] Later in the Intercontinental GT Challenge series, Au returned to the Indianapolis 8 Hour with Niederhauser and Loek Hartog, starting again from overall pole position and winning the Pro-Am class, securing the IGTC Independent Cup Championship title for 2024.[28][29]
In December, Au returned to the Asian Le Mans Series, joining Manthey Racing alongside Joel Sturm and Klaus Bachler. In the first round at Sepang, the trio retired in race one but rebounded in race two to take their first podium by finishing in second.[30] In early 2025, the team ran into troubles in the Dubai double-header, but saw their fortunes turn around at Yas Marina, scoring second in race one and winning the final race, thus crowning Au and his co-drivers 2024–2025 season champions and earning them an invite to the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans, where he finished sixth on debut.[31][32]

For the rest of 2025, Au joined Rutronik Racing to race in GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup,[33] in which he scored Bronze class wins at Monza and Barcelona alongside Loek Hartog to secure runner-up honors in class.[34][35] In Asia, Au won the Suzuka 1000km with Richard Lietz and Hartog in the Bronze class, finishing fourth overall, three tenths off the overall podium.[36] Elsewhere, Au finished second in-class at the 24 Hours of Dubai and the Indianapolis 8 Hour.[37][38] At the end of the year, Au returned to Manthey Racing to compete in the 2025–26 Asian Le Mans Series, taking all but two podiums and a best result of second twice to secure a third-place points finish.[39] Au also raced in the 2025–26 24H Series Middle East during this, scoring an overall win at the 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi and clinching runner-up honors in GT3.[40]
For the rest of 2026, Au joined Garage 59 to make his debut in the LMGT3 class of the FIA World Endurance Championship alongside Marvin Kirchhöfer and Tom Fleming.[41] In parallel, Au returned to Rutronik Racing for his second full-time season in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.[42]
Racing record
Racing career summary
† As Au was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
Complete Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup / GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup results
(Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | OpenRoad Racing | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Am | MNZ | SIL | LEC | SPA 6H 59 |
SPA 12H 53 |
SPA 24H 45 |
CAT | 26th | 8 |
| 2021 | Precote Herberth Motorsport | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Pro-Am | MNZ | LEC | SPA 6H 49 |
SPA 12H 36 |
SPA 24H 26 |
NÜR | CAT | 35th | 6 |
| 2022 | Herberth Motorsport | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Pro-Am | IMO | LEC | SPA 6H 61 |
SPA 12H 61† |
SPA 24H Ret |
HOC | CAT | 15th | 6 |
| 2023 | Huber Motorsport | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Bronze | MNZ | LEC | SPA 6H 27 |
SPA 12H 27 |
SPA 24H 13 |
NÜR | CAT | 9th | 36 |
| 2024 | Lionspeed x Herberth | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Bronze | LEC |
SPA 6H 41 |
SPA 12H 28 |
SPA 24H 22 |
NÜR |
MNZ |
JED |
29th | 10 |
| 2025 | Rutronik Racing | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Bronze | LEC 39 |
MNZ 10 |
SPA 6H 66 |
SPA 12H 57 |
SPA 24H 45 |
NÜR 35 |
CAT 12 |
2nd | 66 |
| 2026 | Rutronik Racing | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2) | Bronze | LEC 13 |
MNZ 38† |
SPA 6H 29 |
SPA 12H 25 |
SPA 24H 43 |
NÜR Ret |
ALG |
8th* | 50* |
Complete Asian Le Mans Series results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Class | Car | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Precote Herberth Motorsport | GT | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | DUB 1 15 |
DUB 2 9 |
ABU 1 12 |
ABU 2 13 |
15th | 4.5 | ||
| 2022 | Herberth Motorsport | GT | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | DUB 1 12 |
DUB 2 Ret |
ABU 1 17 |
ABU 2 2 |
8th | 20 | ||
| 2023 | Herberth Motorsport | GT | Porsche 911 GT3 R | Porsche 4.0 L Flat-6 | DUB 1 Ret |
DUB 2 11 |
ABU 1 8 |
ABU 2 12 |
16th | 4 | ||
| 2023–24 | Herberth Motorsport | GT | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | SEP 1 Ret |
SEP 2 7 |
DUB 9 |
ABU 1 5 |
ABU 2 10 |
15th | 19 | |
| 2024–25 | Manthey Racing | GT | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | SEP 1 Ret |
SEP 2 2 |
DUB 1 5 |
DUB 2 4 |
ABU 1 2 |
ABU 2 1 |
1st | 86 |
| 2025–26 | Manthey Racing | GT | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Porsche 4.2 L Flat-6 | SEP 1 2 |
SEP 2 Ret |
DUB 1 2 |
DUB 2 3 |
ABU 1 9 |
ABU 2 3 |
3rd | 70 |
Complete International GT Open results
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Huber Motorsport | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Pro-Am | ALG 1 |
ALG 2 |
SPA 4 |
HUN 1 |
HUN 2 |
LEC 1 |
LEC 2 |
RBR 1 |
RBR 2 |
MNZ 1 |
MNZ 2 |
CAT 1 |
CAT 2 |
10th | 25 | |
| 2024 | Lionspeed GP x Herberth | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Pro-Am | ALG 1 |
ALG 2 |
HOC 1 |
HOC 2 |
SPA Ret |
HUN 1 |
HUN 2 |
LEC 1 |
LEC 2 |
RBR 1 |
RBR 2 |
CAT 1 |
CAT 2 |
MNZ |
39th | 0 |
Complete GT World Challenge Asia results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Modena Motorsports | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Am | BUR 1 |
BUR 2 |
FSW 1 |
FSW 2 |
SUZ 1 |
SUZ 2 |
MOT 1 |
MOT 2 |
OKA 1 |
OKA 2 |
SEP 1 1 |
SEP 2 1 |
NC† | 0† |
| 2024 | FAW Audi Sport Asia Racing Team | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | Am | SEP 1 |
SEP 2 |
BUR 1 |
BUR 2 |
FSW 1 |
FSW 2 |
SUZ 1 |
SUZ 2 |
OKA 1 |
OKA 2 |
SIC 1 3 |
SIC 2 3 |
12th | 30 |
† As Au was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | LMGT3 | 340 | 38th | 6th | ||
| 2026 | McLaren 720S GT3 Evo | LMGT3 | 332 | 44th | 12th |
Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Class | Car | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Garage 59 | LMGT3 | McLaren 720S GT3 Evo | McLaren M840T 4.0 L Turbo V8 | IMO 13 |
SPA 1 |
LMS 8 |
SÃO 16 |
COA |
FUJ |
CAT |
MNZ |
11th* | 34* |
* Season still in progress.