Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific customer team Absolute Racing secured a strong sixth-place finish in the prestigious Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour.
Porsche Drivers Matt Campbell, Ayhancan Güven and Alessio Picariello navigated a gruelling weekend with determination and skill. The trio showcased strong racecraft in the #911 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R (Type 992), even leading the race at one stage, before ultimately securing a well-earned sixth place in the Intercontinental GT Challenge season opener in Australia.
Expectations for the weekend were high once again. With three Porsche drivers, all of whom have tasted victory at the demanding Mount Panorama circuit, the team’s return to the Mountain got off to a challenging start. Friday’s free practice sessions proved tough, with the drivers struggling to extract the maximum performance from Skippy (ndr: the name given to the kangaroo-liveried #911 Absolute Racing Porsche).
The team used the opening two practice sessions on Saturday to continue working on the car, but the lap times simply weren’t there. In qualifying, local hero Matt Campbell gave it his all but battled oversteer across the top of the Mountain. Although 11th in qualifying, missing the spot in the afternoon’s Pirelli Pole Battle session, was well below expectations, the Absolute Racing team remained resolute, confident they could find the right car setup to better suit the drivers ahead of Sunday’s big race.
On Sunday, Ayhancan Güven took the start amid plenty of action as the cars raced out of the darkness in New South Wales during the opening hour. With a spot-on strategy and a flawless stint, the Turkish driver expertly propelled Skippy from P11 to the lead. Alessio Picariello was next behind the wheel, maintaining P1 as the race reached the quarter-distance mark.
As the race unfolded, with strategies evolving and several Safety Car periods, the momentum didn’t swing in Absolute Racing's favour. Matt Campbell took over for the third stint, as well as the final one, but the car’s straight-line speed wasn’t quite enough to challenge the leading rivals. Despite this, all three drivers pushed hard, consistently running close to the podium positions. At one point, the team even led the race for two hours. What ultimately hindered their chances was a Safety Car period that followed their pit stop under green flag conditions.
A late refuelling pit stop with less than 30 minutes remaining sealed the outcome, resulting in a sixth-place finish.
TEAM QUOTES:
Fabien Fior (Team Manager): “It wasn't a perfect weekend for us, but we can be pleased with the team's effort and determination. The weekend didn’t start ideally, but we made progress every time we were on track. Everyone in the team, drivers included, gave their all to overcome the challenges, and at one point, we even managed to lead the race. While the tide of the race didn’t swing in our favour, we remained in the fight throughout.”
Alessio Picariello: “We managed to bring the car home in P6 after a difficult weekend where I struggled during my stints. However, I believe that we’ve learnt a lot from this event and hopefully we can put it right next year.”
Ayhancan Güven: “The first few hours of the race felt the strongest over the whole weekend, which is when we were able to take the lead. However, once we lost the track position it was tricky, but we were constantly battling in the top five until the end of proceedings. Thanks to the whole team for working so hard throughout the event.”
Matt Campbell: “It was a tough weekend as we searched for pace throughout the event but in the end, we finished on the lead lap in P6. We’ll look to come back stronger next year and fight for the win.”