H1GP has a new entry for the 2026 season, and it comes with a landmark. Castrol Racing Team has confirmed their place on the grid alongside driver Nurul Auni, making her the first female competitor in the championship's history. It is a moment that marks a genuine shift for the series, and one that signals the direction the championship is moving in.
Auni's entry is not an isolated story. H1GP has confirmed that she will be the first of four female drivers set to compete across the 2026 season, a development that reflects a growing commitment to representation within Malaysian sim racing at its highest domestic level.
A Global Brand Enters the Grid
The partnership with Castrol brings one of motorsport's most recognised names into H1GP for the first time. The team arrives with a clear identity and a history of backing female-led racing programmes in Malaysia. Castrol Racing Team have previously fielded all-female lineups in the RaceRoom Endurance races at Ara Damansara, building competitive experience before making the step up to H1GP's premier series.
Castrol Racing Team have prior experience running all-female lineups in Malaysian sim racing. Most notably, in the RaceRoom Endurance races at Ara Damansara. The H1GP entry represents their most ambitious programme to date.
That background in competitive racing is significant. Castrol Racing Team are not entering H1GP simply to participate. The team has set clear and measurable targets for the season, and they intend to pursue them.
The Team
Castrol Racing Team. Photo: H1GP Media
Season Targets
Castrol Racing Team have arrived with ambition that goes well beyond simply completing a grid. For 2026, the team has set their sights on two targets that would each represent a first in H1GP history.
Both goals are challenging, but not without foundation. The team's prior sim racing experience and the backing of a global motorsport brand give them tools that most new entries do not have from the start. Whether they can convert that into results will be one of the more compelling storylines of the 2026 season.
A Step Forward for H1GP
H1GP 2026 Season. Photo: H1GP Media
The arrival of Castrol Racing Team and Nurul Auni signals something broader for H1GP as a championship. With three more female drivers confirmed for the season, the 2026 grid will be the most diverse in the series' history. The championship has been building its competitive foundations over recent seasons, and this development reflects growth in the community beyond performance alone.
The season gets underway at Suzuka on March 29th. Castrol Racing Team will make their debut at the same circuit as every other team on the grid, and with a debut story that no other entry can claim.
