The first round of the 2018 TCR Asia Series will feature an entry of 15 cars, with the grid bolstered by five Thai entries in a cooperation with the TCR Thailand series.
R Engineering will return to the grid with a pair of 2017-spec Honda Civic Type-R cars for Malaysia’s Abdul Kaathir, who will be joined by a new team-mate in compatriot Akash Nandy.
Maximum Racing are a new entry to the series and will field a pair of 2016-spec Honda Civics for Hong Kong racers Lo Sze Ho and Ivan Szeto Wing Shun.
Elegant Racing Team are also returning to the grid in their SEAT León TCR V2 cars, with Alex Liu and Kelvin Wong already having been announced as drivers.
Undoubtedly the favourites for the title will be Liqui Moly Team Engstler, who will again field Volkswagen Golf GTi cars for Ecuado’s Diego Moran and young German Luca Engstler.
Five Thai entries are on the starter list for this weekend’s first race at Sepang, with Billionaire Boy Racing, Vattana Motorsport, TBN MK ihear Racing, Morin Racing Team and Alphafactory Racing all putting in a single car each.
The first race of the season takes place at 10:05 local time (03:05 BST, 04:05 CEST) on Sunday.
Provisional entry list
| Driver | No. | Team | Car |
 Akash Nandy |
2 | R Engineering | Honda Civic TCR 2017 |
 Alex Liu Lica Ka |
3 | Elegant Racing Team | SEAT León TCR SEQ V2 (2016) |
 Luca Engstler |
8 | Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR |
 Chariya Nuya |
15 | Billionaire Boy Racing (BBR) | Honda Civic TCR 2017 |
 Ivan Szeto Wing Shun |
22 | Maximum Racing | Honda Civic TCR 2016 |
| Abdul Kaathir Mohamed Mustaffa |
23 | R Engineering | Honda Civic TCR 2017 |
| Lo Sze Ho |
28 | Maximum Racing | Honda Civic TCR 2016 |
| Mitchell Cheah Min Jie |
29 | Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR |
 Diego Moran |
32 | Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR |
| Kelvin Wong Kiang Kuan |
33 | Elegant Racing Team | SEAT León TCR SEQ V2 (2016) |
| Pattarapol Vongprai |
59 | Vattana Motorsport | Honda Civic TCR 2017 |
| Douglas Khoo Kok Hui |
65 | Viper Niza Racing | SEAT León TCR SEQ V3 |
| Nattachak Hanjitkasem |
66 | TBN MK ihear Racing Team | Honda Civic TCR 2017 |
| Nattanid Leewattanavaragul |
96 | Morin Racing Team by Sunoco | SEAT León TCR DSG V3 |
| Jakraphan Davee |
133 | Alphafactory Racing Team by Pulzar | SEAT León TCR DSG V3 |