Evans GP completed the most successful event in the team's history with a dominant 1-2-3-4 finish in the main Formula Trophy Malaysia race on Grand Prix Sunday at Sepang International Circuit.
Competing in front of the huge Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix crowd, Juste Mulder led Ben Anh Nguyen, David Cosma-Cristofor and Aaron Mehta across the line on Sunday.
The result completed a weekend which saw Evans GP secure both pole positions, a race victory, multiple podium finishes, the rookie victory and the fastest race lap of the weekend.
Team Owner and Team Principal Joshua Evans said the result was an important milestone for the entire organisation.
“This was without question the most successful event we have ever had as a team,” Evans said.
“To finish the main race on Grand Prix Sunday with a 1-2-3-4, after taking both pole positions and then setting the fastest race lap of the weekend, is something everyone involved with Evans GP can be extremely proud of.
“But more importantly, it was great to see all of our drivers performing, getting results and learning throughout the weekend. We had drivers with different levels of experience and different objectives, and I think every one of them can take something positive away from the event.”
Mulder claims maiden car racing victory
Mulder delivered the headline result on Sunday, taking his first victory in car racing in the #27 Evans GP entry.
He had already demonstrated his speed during qualifying, setting the outright fastest lap of the session with a 2:10.704 to secure pole position for Saturday's opening race.
Mulder led much of that contest before eventually finishing second behind Pinnacle Motorsport's Marco Manson, gaining valuable experience from his first major battle for a Formula 4 victory.
He responded strongly in Sunday's main race, taking the lead and holding off Nguyen to claim victory by 0.521 seconds.
“It was fantastic to see Juste take his first car racing victory,” Evans said.
“He showed a lot of speed from the beginning of the weekend. Saturday was a really useful learning experience for him and then he came back on Sunday and converted that pace into a win.
“For a young driver, being able to learn from one race and immediately apply those lessons the next day is exactly what you want to see.”
Nguyen impresses after eight months away from racing
Nguyen completed the Evans GP 1-2 after an impressive return to competition.
The Vietnamese driver had not raced since February but immediately established himself among the fastest drivers at Sepang. He qualified second for Saturday's opening race before securing pole position for Sunday's main race with his second-fastest qualifying lap of 2:10.911.
After finishing third on Saturday, Nguyen took second on Sunday and recorded a 2:11.583 on lap seven — the fastest race lap of the Formula Trophy Malaysia weekend.
“Ben's performance was extremely impressive considering he hadn't raced anything since February,” Evans said.
“He came back after eight months away from racing, was immediately at the front, took a pole position, finished on the podium in both races and set the fastest race lap of the weekend. That says a lot about his ability and the work he has continued to put in away from the race weekends.”
Cosma-Cristofor and Mehta complete top-four sweep
David Cosma-Cristofor completed the podium in third, just 2.897 seconds behind Mulder, after another consistently competitive weekend.
Cosma-Cristofor had finished fourth in Saturday's opening race before moving onto the podium on Sunday.
Aaron Mehta crossed the line fourth to complete the top-four sweep and also claimed the rookie victory. Mehta had shown his pace from qualifying, where he recorded the third-fastest outright lap.
“David was competitive throughout the event and did an excellent job to come away with a podium on Sunday,” Evans said.
“Aaron also showed a lot of speed. To qualify third overall and then finish fourth in the main race and win the rookie classification was a very strong performance.”
Strong performances throughout the driver line-up
The weekend also produced encouraging performances throughout the team's driver line-up.
Rafael Vaessen finished sixth in both races and remained among the leading group throughout the event. Ginevra Panzeri recorded two top-ten finishes, while Nawin Natiphanon continued to build his experience across the weekend and Kareen Kaur gained valuable mileage competing in the Formula 1 support environment.
“When you run this many cars, you can't judge the success of the weekend only by who stands on the podium,” Evans said.
“Every driver comes into an event with different experience and different objectives. Rafael was consistently competitive, Ginevra put together two top-ten results, and Nawin and Kareen gained a huge amount of experience.
“Our objective is to develop drivers as well as win races. Seeing drivers improve from session to session is every bit as important for us.”
Double pole sets up successful weekend
Evans GP had set the tone during qualifying, with the Formula Trophy Malaysia format using each driver's fastest lap to determine the grid for Saturday's opening race and their second-fastest lap for Sunday's main race.
Mulder took the first pole with his 2:10.704, leading an Evans GP top three of Mulder, Nguyen and Mehta.
Nguyen then secured pole for Sunday's main race with his second-fastest lap of 2:10.911, giving the team both pole positions through two different drivers.
The weekend was also the largest race operation undertaken by Evans GP and came after a period of significant development within the team over the past 12 months.
“We have made a lot of changes and improvements over the last year,” Evans said.
“There has been a huge amount of work behind the scenes to improve how we operate, from engineering and preparation through to equipment, systems and the structure around the drivers.
“To see those changes immediately translate into our most successful event is a huge credit to every engineer, mechanic and member of staff. There are a lot of long days behind a weekend like this that nobody outside the team sees.”
Reward for driver loyalty
The result carried additional significance following a disrupted season for several Evans GP drivers.
A number had originally committed to the team for the Southeast Asian F4 programme before the championship was delayed following the disruption caused by the war involving Iran.
Despite the uncertainty, a core group remained committed to Evans GP and its regional racing programme.
“We have a really loyal group of drivers with us this season, particularly those who originally signed with us for the Southeast Asian F4 championship,” Evans said.
“The championship being delayed because of the situation involving Iran was completely outside everyone's control, but it was obviously frustrating for the drivers, their families and everyone who had spent so much time preparing.
“We're extremely grateful that those drivers continued to believe in the team. To finally get everyone racing and reward that loyalty with both poles, podiums, a rookie victory, the fastest race lap and a 1-2-3-4 in the main race is very satisfying.”
Evans also acknowledged the wider group supporting the programme.
“The parents, managers and sponsors behind our drivers have shown a huge amount of support and patience, particularly through a season where plans have changed,” he said.
“We really appreciate the trust they have put in Evans GP, and this result belongs to them as well.”
A special result in front of the Formula 1 crowd
The setting made the weekend particularly memorable, with Formula Trophy Malaysia competing on the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix programme in front of a huge local crowd and the wider Formula 1 paddock.
“To do this at Sepang on a Formula 1 weekend makes it even more special,” Evans said.
“This is our home circuit and to see four Evans GP cars come across the line first, second, third and fourth in the main race on Grand Prix Sunday, in front of that crowd and with the Formula 1 teams here, was a pretty special moment.
“It's also an incredible environment for the young drivers. There is more pressure, more attention and a much bigger crowd than they would normally experience. Learning to perform in that environment is an important part of their development.”
Championship leads and a busy period ahead
Evans GP leaves the opening event leading both the Drivers' and Teams' Championships, but attention will quickly turn to a busy period ahead.
Formula Trophy Malaysia returns to Sepang for Round 2 in early November, before Evans GP heads to Macau in mid-November for one of the biggest events on its 2026 calendar.
“We're obviously very pleased to leave the first event leading both the Drivers' and Teams' Championships, but there is still a long way to go,” Evans said.
“We know there are areas where we can improve and the competition is strong. We'll go through everything from this weekend and try to arrive at Round 2 even stronger.
“Then we have Macau in the middle of November, so we're heading into an extremely busy period for the team.
“For now, I want the drivers, staff, parents, managers, sponsors and everyone who has supported us to enjoy this result. It's been a fantastic weekend for Evans GP and one that the whole team will remember for a long time.”
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