IGTC: AO by Absolute Porsche Dominates Historic 50th Suzuka 1000km
AO by Absolute Racing took a commanding victory in the 50th running of the Suzuka 1000km, ending a 32-year winless drought for Porsche at the historic Japanese endurance race.
Event Overview
- Event: 50th Suzuka 1000km (IGTC Round 4)
- Track: Suzuka Circuit (Suzuka, Japan)
- Series: Intercontinental GT Challenge
- Dates: 11 - 13 September 2026
Overall Podium
- 1st: #8 AO by Absolute Racing - Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) EVO (Alessio Picariello / Laurin Heinrich / Julien Andlauer)
- 2nd: #64 Miedecke Motorsport By Team MPC - Ford Mustang GT3 EVO (Christopher Mies / Dennis Olsen / Frédéric Vervisch)
- 3rd: #7 Absolute Racing - Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) EVO (Ayhancan Güven / Alessandro Ghiretti / Dorian Boccolacci)
Class Winners
- PRO: #8 AO by Absolute Racing (Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) EVO)
- Bronze Cup: #69 Team WRT (BMW M4 GT3 EVO)
- PRO-AM: #60 LM Corsa (Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO)
Highlights
- Porsche's Milestone Win: Alessio Picariello, Laurin Heinrich and Julien Andlauer covered 184 laps (1068.48 kilometres) to secure Porsche's 12th victory at the Suzuka 1000km and its first overall win since 1994.
- Ford Mustang's Debut Podium: Starting from pole position, the #64 Miedecke Motorsport By Team MPC Ford Mustang GT3 EVO of Christopher Mies, Dennis Olsen and Frédéric Vervisch completed a strong run to finish second overall, +51.416 seconds behind the winners.
- Absolute Racing Double Podium: The sister #7 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R of Ayhancan Güven, Alessandro Ghiretti and Dorian Boccolacci sealed third place (+59.979s), with Güven setting the overall race fastest lap of 1:59.966 on lap 128.
- Class Honors: Team WRT took Bronze class victory with their #69 BMW M4 GT3 EVO in P7 overall, while LM Corsa claimed PRO-AM honors with the #60 Ferrari 296 GT3 EVO driven by Kei Nakanishi, Shigekazu Wakisaka and Giancarlo Fisichella in P10 overall.
Photo credits: BMW Group PressClub