A Chat With Johor Motorsports Racing’s HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim And HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim

It is an ongoing dream that is playing out on some of the most prestigious racing circuits in the world, but was seeded long ago. Today, Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Panglima of Johor (His Highness Prince Jefri Ibrahim) and Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Abu Bakar Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Putera of Johor (His Highness Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim), sons of the Johor royal family, race GT cars around the world under the banner of the Johor Motorsports Racing Team (JMR). 

As youngsters, they would collect die-cast model cars, but also had an uncommonly rich exposure to high-end automotives—after all, theirs is a family renowned for its passion for motoring. “I think it was a natural thing. When we grew up, of course, my family loved cars and motorsports, so looking up to the cars the family had, I think the interest comes from there,” Prince Jefri recounts. “And naturally, as a kid, you always love cool cars!” 

The desire to take on motorsports at a higher level had been at the back of his mind for a while, and he seized the moment in 2017. Before that, it took him some time to convince his father, Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong XVII Sultan Ibrahim, for whom safety was the chief concern. “It took me a while, but the opportunity came, and thankfully His Majesty has been very supportive since the beginning,” Prince Jefri says.

This led to the founding of JMR, and he was on the track from 2018 with GT3 competition coming in the following year. By 2022, he brought his brother Prince Abu Bakar on board with the duo competing together at GT3 level.

“I’m still chasing perfection. I’m not even close to where I want to be. I have my goals and dreams that I want to achieve, and I’m just focusing on that,” Prince Jefri reflects of his progression since. “I’ve learnt quite a lot from the experience that I’ve had with my past teammates and the team.”

Both princes stress the importance of having a good mentality to make it as a driver. “You have to be mature at the same time, to not do silly things,” Prince Abu Bakar says.

Prince Jefri adds: “And you have to be open to learn, open to grow, and to take criticism well at the same time. Without knowing, you can never improve. It’s just whether you want to take it in a positive way, to improve yourself, or let it put you down. And I always try to take it in the most positive way I could and learn from the mistakes. We had to learn a lot in a short period of time to compete at that level, but we made the most of it.”

The 2025 season marked a new chapter in the team’s evolution as it heralded a new constructor partnership with iconic American carmaker Chevrolet, and with it, a new car: the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. With its 5.5-litre V8, it was the first mid-engined car that Prince Jefri raced and required a bit of adjustment. “But so far, it’s been great. The car has been very strong and very competitive. It suits my driving style more and I’ve been enjoying it,” he says. “To partner with Corvette was a new, exciting chapter for us and they’ve been nothing but great to work with.”

There is additional meaning behind this partnership as well, as their family has long had an affinity for Corvettes. “The Corvette has always been a family thing—that we’ve been collecting since the C1, in fact,” Prince Abu Bakar explains, referring to the first-generation model that debuted in 1953. At the photo shoot at Istana Bukit Serene, they brought with them a 1968 C3 model, part of the family’s collection, alongside a 2021 C8. The latter is the road-legal car that the Z06 GT3.R is based on. “You have the old and the new, and we’re racing it, and it has a connection to the family at the same time,” Prince Jefri muses. 

The season was a successful one. Highlights included a strong showing at the GT World Challenge Asia Series, wherein JMR placed second overall in the team standings, while Prince Jefri finished second likewise in the driver’s standings. This included first-place finishes at in Japan, Malaysia, and Thailand. The victory in Sepang was a particularly meaningful one, with friends and family—including his parents—in attendance. “Sepang has always been special. It’s home territory, and we’ve raced there a lot. It’s a very technical track, which is really nice, but what makes it more special is when you have family and friends that can come to your race,” Prince Jefri says. “Having that support out there, you always want to give the best, and when you have a good result—it’s icing on top.”

This year is going to be even more exciting, with JMR having confirmed participation at some of the world’s most prestigious races, including returns to the Suzuka 1000km and Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa. Most significantly, Prince Jefri will be racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the first time. In a partnership with TF Sport, he is in his Corvette as part of a three-man team comprising two Le Mans debutants, namely Prince Jefri—only the sixth Malaysian to race in 24 Hours of Le Mans—and JMR regular professional driver Ben Green. The team is rounded off by Englishman Lorcan Hanafin. 

“It took me eight years to get there. I’m still pinching myself now that it is happening,” Prince Jefri says of the prospect of competing in the legendary endurance race. “This is the pinnacle that I wanted to reach. Le Mans is what I always wanted. You can’t go higher than that in a GT3 race. It’s my dream race that I’ve always wanted to compete in,” he says, adding that he is not especially nervous about the prospect. “I take it the same as any race. We are well-prepared, we train as much as we can.” 

At this year’s race, in what would prove to be an eventful debut, the team started on P23, and through smart pit strategy, clean laps and good car management, fought their way to P5 on multiple occasions during the race’s middle stages before a gearbox issue at the 17th-hour mark. Repairs would cause a loss of four laps with the team dropping down the order to P19, before they battled back through a daunting field in the final few hours to finally, after 330 laps, complete the race at P14 on this 94th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Aside from personal achievements, JMR is also a rarity on the racing circuit simply by virtue of being founded, owned, and driven by Malaysians. “In a European-dominated sport, it’s nice to see a Malaysian flag flying up there. Especially when we race in Europe,” Prince Abu Bakar says.

Prince Jefri observes: “I think in most of the races we do, we are the only Malaysian team out there, or a Malaysian that has raced in that category, or has won that category. But looking at the overall picture, we just want to do our best, and hopefully give a good name to the country and the state as well.”

One of the best parts of their ongoing journey is that the brothers get to do it side by side. “Racing together has always been a blessing. How many siblings get to race together? We travel everywhere and to have your brother there is always nice,” Prince Jefri says. “We push each other, but also understand each other. We want each other to do well. It’s really nice to work together and all the work that we have done for the past several years—that’s when it’s really special, especially if you get a good result. It’s really meaningful. I always say that this is just the beginning, and there will be much more to come.” 

WATCH: Behind-the-scenes with HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim and HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim of team JMR

Art direction: Penn Ey, Chee
Creative production: Ellie Harries
Photography: William K and Darcy Campbell
Styling: Mughni Che Din