Team KCMG had a frustrating Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie weekend, with a technical issue and an incident in qualifying limiting their results at Rounds 8 and 9 of the 2026 season.
With both NLS 8 and 9 on the same weekend, the team opted to field two pairs of drivers. Kamui Kobayashi and Naoya Gamou took the wheel of the #47 Mercedes-AMG GT3 on Saturday, before Nirei Fukuzumi and Sho Tsuboi tackled Sunday’s event.
All four displayed positive speed during Free Practice, developing their experience around motorsport’s toughest circuit.
Kobayashi and Gamou showed good pace around the 25-kilometre track in qualifying, taking 12th on the grid for the four-hour enduro. Gamou took the start and made good progress, running in the top-10, before a technical issue set the team back. Kobayashi also had strong pace, helping the duo finish the event in 19th.
The following day, Tsuboi impressed in the first part of qualifying, before Fukuzumi also began setting quick lap times. Unfortunately, oil on the track caused Fukuzumi to lose control of the car. The damage meant the team was unable to take the start of NLS 9, a frustrating end to a promising day.
Despite these results, the weekend and the season marked a positive step of development for both the team and drivers. The entire squad looks forward to returning to the Nürburgring.
KAMUI KOBAYASHI
“We had a few issues with the car, during the NLS 8, which cost us a lot of positions. It’s frustrating for the whole team but it was still a big positive to gain more experience here. We discovered several good changes on the car and I enjoyed my time on track, especially in the dry, as it was my first proper running at the Nürburgring with a dry circuit. It was great to be here, I love driving at this track and it was a pleasure to team up with KCMG again.”
NAOYA GAMOU
“We had an issue on Saturday during the race, but I’m really pleased we were able to make it to the finish. Our main goal was to get as much mileage as possible, so I’m happy we achieved that. I think there’s still room to improve, both in my driving and the car’s performance, so if we can make those adjustments, I’m confident we can close the gap to the frontrunners. I will keep working hard and pushing forward alongside the team.”
NIREI FUKUZUMI
“Both Sho and I had good rhythm in the car this weekend and were showing excellent pace, but unfortunately I lost grip on an oily part of the track, which ended our qualifying and prevented us from starting the NLS 9. It’s very disappointing for the whole team, but we still learned a lot this weekend and will take the positives forward. I’m pleased to have raced with KCMG this year, I gained a lot of experience so a big thank you to the whole team.”
SHO TSUBOI
“I’m happy to have returned to the Nordschleife this weekend and to get back into the rhythm of driving on this incredible circuit. I gained further knowledge and confidence in the car to push to the limit, in both wet and dry conditions. It was a shame not to race on Sunday, but we leave with good experience and I’m excited for my next chance to drive here.”
MATT HOWSON TEAM MANAGER
“NLS 8 and 9 was a challenging weekend for KCMG. In particular, it was unfortunate to miss NLS 9 following an incident in qualifying due to oil on track. However, Naoya and Kamui showed excellent pace on Saturday in a race interrupted by a technical issue, proving their significant progress this year. The same can be said for Nirei and Sho on Sunday, who looked set for a strong qualifying position. All the experience will be taken from this event to help us in the future, and we look forward to the next steps at the ever-challenging Nürburgring.”
PAUL IP KCMG FOUNDER
“It was a tough weekend for the team, and very disappointing to miss NLS 9 after the qualifying incident due to oil on the track, especially considering the strong pace displayed by all four drivers. The performance clearly showed the improvements made by the team and Kamui, Naoya, Sho and Nirei throughout the 2026 campaign. Although circumstances prevented us from converting that speed into results, we remain encouraged by the development of the entire programme. We will take lessons from this weekend, continue working hard and we’re looking forward to our next chapter at the Nürburgring.”
Media enquiries: Cristina Villar
Email address: cristina@kcmg.com.hk
For more information about KCMG please visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of all the latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow on X and Instagram.
About KCMG
KC Motorgroup Ltd (KCMG) is an international motorsport services group established in 2007 by Paul Ip. The group, with its headquarters located in Hong Kong, has operations reaching across the Asia Pacific region. KCMG operates closely with many partner companies and racing organisations around the world to provide unrivalled motorsport services, equipment, team management and quality distribution in the automotive industry. For more information on all of the team’s activities please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email info@kcmg.com.hk.
