Absolute Racing drivers Alex Liang Jiatong and Anson Chen Yechong finished seventh in GT3 Pro/AM National class in race two of a typhoon-affected round three of the China GT Championship at Zhuhai International Circuit.
The Italian-built car made its competitive debut this weekend at China's first permanent circuit, shared by Chinese drivers Liang and Chen. With Chen taking over from Malaysia's Akash Nandy, the Chinese pairing competed in the Pro-Am (National) class.
The most eye-catching novelty for the team, however, was undoubtedly the striking livery on Absolute Racing's Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2.
Following the successful debut of its Ultraman Tiga-inspired livery earlier in the 2026 season, Absolute Racing has once again joined forces with model brand Trends Hobby to unveil a fresh design at Zhuhai, this time drawing inspiration from the unmistakable work of American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Saturday's race did not go ahead, with the weather closing in minutes after the cars had lined up on the grid. With safety conditions no longer met, the race was called off before the start.
Following the forecast from the local meteorological department and guidance from local authorities, all racing activity scheduled for Sunday morning at Zhuhai International Circuit was cancelled, and the start of race two was brought forward by two hours.
With conditions remaining highly unpredictable ahead of the start, tyre choice became the key strategic call. Based on the drivers' reconnaissance laps and the latest forecasts, Absolute Racing opted to start on wet tyres. Under the sporting regulations, any tyre change during the race would incur a 50-second time penalty, making the initial choice a critical gamble that balanced the weather outlook against the rulebook. As the Safety Car led the field away, race two of the Zhuhai weekend got under way. Although both cars started from the rear of the grid, Chen quickly settled into their rhythm and began making steady progress through the field.
As the circuit gradually dried during the opening laps, however, the wet-tyre strategy became less competitive in certain sections of the track. The engineering team continued to monitor the changing conditions closely, keeping opening-stint driver Chen within the strategic window whilst waiting for the weather to swing back in their favour. The rain then intensified rapidly, causing the track to deteriorate and the race was red-flagged for safety reasons.
Unfortunately, during the stoppage, the Race Control permitted teams to change tyres and drivers without applying the time penalty otherwise required under the sporting regulations, and offered no clear guidance before the restart on how the tyre-change rules, or any associated penalties, would be enforced.
This lack of clarity, in both the application of the regulations and the communication of procedure, left crews that had correctly gambled on wet-weather tyres at a clear disadvantage. The strategic advantage they had earned through an accurate read of the conditions was effectively wiped out. As a result, those crews were left to contend with the worsening track in the race's early stages, only to then lose the competitive edge they had built once racing resumed.
After a delay of almost an hour, conditions improved sufficiently for the race to resume, under a revised format of 27 minutes plus one lap to determine the final result.
Despite the setbacks, second-stint driver Liang never gave up, continuing to push for every position and steadily climbing the order. However, multiple incidents in the closing stages brought out two further Safety Car interventions, disrupting the rhythm of the race and limiting the opportunities to gain further ground.
At the chequered flag, the No. 63 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, driven by Liang and Chen, finished eighth in the Pro-Am National class.
The China GT Championship now has a month off before returning to Shanghai International Circuit for round four of the season, on 4–6 September.
