Wang Yibo tries Kuala Lumpur favourites as he prepares for first overseas GT race at Sepang

From Pudu dinner tables to Sepang practice laps

Wang Yibo has been spotted eating claypot bak kut teh in Kuala Lumpur's Pudu district and trying durian at Jalan Alor while preparing to race the No. 85 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO at Sepang International Circuit. The 29-year-old Chinese actor and singer is in Malaysia ahead of the 2026 China GT Championship finale, scheduled for November 6 to 8.

The two food stops took place on October 14, a day after Wang shared photographs of his circuit training on Weibo. He ate with members of UNO Racing in Pudu before heading to Bukit Bintang, where some fans identified his durian stop as Duriyen Garden.

His Malaysian visit brings together two developments: his first overseas competition as a professional racing driver and a season finale that takes China GT beyond its domestic venues. Wang is set to partner Malaysian driver Mao Junhao in the GT3 class, with several weeks between his arrival and the race weekend.

Photographs of the meals drew amused reactions from fans, who joked that his racing preparations were turning into a food tour. At the circuit, however, Wang has been working on a more demanding task: learning a track measuring 5.543 kilometres, with 15 corners and two long straights.

Two Malaysian food stops in one evening

Pudu was the first stop on October 14. Wang joined his UNO Racing teammates at a restaurant serving bak kut teh in claypots, with photographs of the meal circulating on Weibo. Bak kut teh is a dish of pork ribs simmered in a broth with herbs and spices, commonly eaten with rice.

The restaurant's name was not given. Images described in the accounts showed Wang wearing a black T-shirt and baseball cap, seated with his teammates on red plastic stools at an outdoor dining area.

Jalan Alor was the next stop that evening. The food street in Bukit Bintang is a familiar destination for visitors to Kuala Lumpur, and Wang was seen there sampling durian, the spiky fruit known for its strong smell and rich flesh. Fans identified the location as Duriyen Garden.

Weibo users shared sightings from both locations, focusing on the contrast between Wang's public image as a performer and his relaxed meals with the team. Their reactions made the food outings a story alongside the training, rather than simply a brief break from it.

Why Wang arrived weeks before the finale

Wang arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on the evening of October 11, travelling from Beijing after completing Paris Fashion Week commitments. His arrival came 26 days before the opening date of the Sepang race weekend, giving him time to begin adapting to the circuit.

By October 13, he was training at Sepang with UNO Racing. Photographs he posted on Weibo showed him in the garage and behind the wheel in racing gear. He said he was getting accustomed to the circuit's two long straights.

Practice was reported to have continued until 8 p.m. Wang was also seen riding a scooter beside the circuit, a quieter moment between sessions in the car. Sepang's heat, humidity and fast corners add to the work of learning where to brake, turn and accelerate.

The sequence of his arrival, training and public sightings shows how the visit has developed:

• October 11: Wang arrived in Kuala Lumpur in the evening.
• October 13: He trained with UNO Racing at Sepang and shared photographs on Weibo.
• October 14: He was spotted eating bak kut teh in Pudu and durian at Jalan Alor.
• November 6 to 8: Sepang is scheduled to host the China GT season finale.

A new circuit with a local teammate

Sepang's 5.543-kilometre layout gives Wang more to learn than the two straights he mentioned. Its 15 corners require repeated decisions about speed, braking and the route through each turn. A good exit from a corner leading onto a long straight matters because the car carries that speed into the next stretch.

GT3 cars are racing machines based on production sports cars, with changes for competition and safety. Wang and Mao are set to share UNO Racing's No. 85 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO in that category. Preparing the car and learning the circuit are therefore shared tasks, even though each driver must become comfortable behind the wheel.

Mao has competed in racing series since the age of 14 and is familiar with Sepang. His experience gives Wang a teammate who already knows the venue, including the fast corners that Wang has been practising.

For Wang, the overseas debut adds a new venue to a car racing career that began in 2024. His early arrival puts the focus on preparation before the November event, rather than leaving his first experience of Sepang until the race weekend.

How Sepang fits into the China GT season

The revised 2026 China GT calendar was announced on March 16, with a preseason test at Shanghai International Circuit on March 28 and 29. The organizer's official 2026 calendar lists five championship rounds, ending at Sepang on November 6 to 8.

Shanghai hosted the opening round on April 17 to 19 and the fourth round on September 4 to 6. Between those dates, the calendar placed round two at Ningbo International Circuit on May 22 to 24 and round three at Zhuhai International Circuit on July 24 to 26.

Sepang is therefore the only venue outside China among the five championship rounds, accounting for one fifth of the scheduled rounds. The finale has also been described as China GT's first event held outside China, making the Malaysian weekend a milestone for the series as well as for Wang.

Wang had announced plans to compete throughout the 2026 season in car No. 85. His Sepang appearance is part of that continuing championship programme, rather than his introduction to GT racing.

Recent results and a setback in Shanghai

Wang's preparations follow a class victory in the Shanghai eight-hour endurance race in September. In endurance racing, drivers and teams must sustain their performance over a long event, managing the car as well as their pace. A class victory means finishing first among cars competing in the same category.

He also suffered a retirement at the China GT Shanghai round after contact involving his No. 85 car and car No. 116. The collision was described as happening in qualifying, while another account placed it on the final lap. The accounts agreed that race officials cleared Wang of responsibility; the other driver's braking error was identified as the cause.

The damage was described as severe damage to the rear diffuser, a part beneath the back of the car that helps manage airflow and keep the vehicle stable at speed. Damage there can affect how a racing car behaves through corners.

The September victory and the Shanghai retirement give different parts of the picture before Sepang: Wang has achieved success in GT competition, while also experiencing a race weekend cut short by a collision. Malaysia now presents a fresh circuit to learn before the final round.

From motorcycles to the No. 85 GT car

Wang's professional motorsport career began on two wheels. He made his professional motorcycle racing debut at the Michelin GPGP Grand Prix in Beijing in 2019, several years before moving into GT car racing.

He switched to GT racing in 2024 with UNO Racing, with his car racing debut dated to October that year. Since then, he has recorded wins and finishes in second and third places at GT3 events.

His first overseas professional car race comes about two years after that change of discipline. Motorcycle racing and GT car racing both demand precise control and judgement, but Wang's current work involves learning Sepang in a competition car shared with a teammate.

The No. 85 Mercedes-AMG will be the centre of that effort in November. The practice photographs, early arrival and planned partnership with Mao connect his Malaysian visit to a racing programme that has developed over several seasons.

A familiar performer taking on a different role

Wang entered entertainment in 2014 as the main rapper and dancer of Uniq, the South Korean-Chinese boy band. He made his film debut in MBA Partners in 2016 before reaching a wider audience through The Untamed in 2019, Legend of Fei in 2020 and Hidden Blade in 2023.

On his 29th birthday, he said he wanted to step back from acting and prioritise quality over quantity. He has also spoken about spending more time outdoors and committing more time to professional motorsport.

His Malaysian schedule may include work on a racing documentary, titled Zhangkong Zhi Jie in Chinese. Filming during the trip has been described as planned, with the programme expected to be released during the summer holiday period in 2027.

For fans following his movements in Kuala Lumpur, the visit has offered glimpses of both sides of his public life: a recognisable actor enjoying local food and a driver working towards a championship finale. The next scheduled competitive dates are November 6 to 8, when attention shifts from the dinner table and practice garage to the Sepang race weekend.

Key Points

• Wang Yibo was spotted eating bak kut teh in Pudu and durian at Jalan Alor on October 14.
• He arrived in Kuala Lumpur on October 11 and shared Sepang training photographs on October 13.
• He is set to partner Mao Junhao in UNO Racing's No. 85 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
• The China GT finale is scheduled for November 6 to 8 at Sepang International Circuit.
• The event marks Wang's first overseas competition as a professional car racing driver.
• Sepang is the only venue outside China on the five-round 2026 championship calendar.