Absolute Racing has announced a second Pro class Porsche 911 GT3 R for the 50th running of the Suzuka 1000km on 11–13 September.
Last week, the Shanghai-based organisation announced a partnership with championship-winning American team AO Racing to field the #8 AO by Absolute Porsche in its special “Bushi Rex” livery.
Today the team has shared it will enter the #7 Porsche for Dorian Boccolacci, Alessandro Ghiretti, and reigning DTM Champion Ayhancan Güven in the Pro class.
Last year, Absolute Racing’s #7 Porsche wore a special livery inspired by the 1985 Le Mans 24 Hours-winning Joest Racing Porsche 956, and that car went on to finish second overall. A second Absolute Racing Porsche won the Bronze class and finished a remarkable fourth overall last year.
Güven was one of several standout DTM drivers who missed out on a chance to race at Suzuka last year due to a clash of dates. While that clash still stands, the Turkish driver’s departure from DTM will allow him to make his first Suzuka 1000km start. Güven is also a past champion of the Bathurst 12 Hour, which he won in 2024 for Manthey EMA.
“I’m very happy to be joining Absolute Racing for this year’s Suzuka 1000km,” said Güven. “Racing there has always been a dream of mine, so I’m incredibly excited to experience the circuit for the first time. We have a strong car with Porsche, an excellent team, and a competitive driver line-up, so our goal is to fight for the win.”
Boccolacci makes his second Suzuka 1000km appearance, coming off an eighth-place finish for Phantom Global Racing in 2025. The Frenchman spent 2025 as the Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific (PMAP) Selected Driver, receiving support from the manufacturer to compete across Asia, Australia, and Europe – which he parlayed into becoming a Porsche factory contracted driver for 2026.
“I’m delighted to be back with Absolute Racing and this time competing at the Suzuka 1000km,” Boccolacci said. My first experience in Asia and driving the Porsche 911 GT3 R was with the team at the 2024 Sepang 12 Hours. I’ll always be grateful for that, so it’s very special to be returning for such an iconic event. Suzuka is an incredible track with a lot of character, very technical and challenging, and one that every driver enjoys.
“We have a strong line-up, a very experienced team of engineers and mechanics, and I’m confident we have everything we need to fight at the front. I also love going to Japan as the culture and passion for motorsport there is incredible. It’s always a pleasure to race in front of the fans and I’m excited to be part of this iconic enduro once again.”
Ghiretti enters 2026 as the reigning Porsche Supercup champion and a new Porsche contracted driver. Through the first half of the 2026 GT World Challenge Asia season, he along with co-driver Huang Ruohan lead the overall championship for Absolute Racing. They’ll defend their points lead two weeks before the Suzuka 1000km when GT World Asia races at Okayama International Circuit on 28–30 August.
“I’m very proud and happy to be racing at this year’s Suzuka 1000km with Absolute Racing,” said the young French driver. “I know the circuit well and enjoyed my trip there during the 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season, scoring two victories that weekend. With Ayhancan and Dorian as my teammates, I know that a strong result is possible. A massive thanks to the team for giving me this incredible opportunity and I’m excited for the challenge.”
In addition, Absolute Racing plans to run a special livery for the #7 car at Suzuka which will be revealed at a later date.
Fabien Fior, Absolute Racing’s Director, said, “We’re delighted to be fielding two highly competitive Porsche entries in one of the world’s most iconic endurance races. The level of competition will be extremely high, but we’re confident in the strength of our team and our driver line-up. We’ve worked with Alessandro, Ayhancan and Dorian before, so we know what they’re capable of, and we’re sure they have the talent, experience and determination to fight for a strong result. We’re looking forward to taking on the challenge and giving everything to be at the front.”
And Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director of PMAP, added, “We’re pleased to announce a second Pro class entry with Absolute Racing in the 2026 Suzuka 1000km. The line-up of the #7 car with Ayhancan, Dorian and Alessandro is very competitive, with all having raced for the team in recent seasons. Absolute impressed on the return of the enduro last year, securing second and fourth overall alongside the Bronze Cup. With these two competitive line-ups we will be aiming for strong results at the event next month.”
The provisional entry list for the race will be revealed Thursday.
Feature image © SRO Motorsports Group/Gruppe C Photography
