Absolute Racing delivered a strong performance at the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, with strategy playing a decisive role in the final outcome, as Alessio Picariello, Bastian Buus and Matt Campbell guided the fan-favourite No. 911 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R to a sixth-place finish in the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
The weekend began with two practice sessions on Friday, followed by a further two on Saturday ahead of qualifying. Absolute Racing emerged as the leading Porsche contender in the Pirelli Pole Battle, with Matt Campbell setting the benchmark aboard the Trends Happy-sponsored No. 911 Porsche 911 GT3 R. The lap marked the fastest-ever time for the New Zealand driver around the iconic Mount Panorama Circuit.
Alessio Picariello was entrusted with starting duties and delivered a solid opening stint, moving up to third position in the early stages. However, an early Safety Car intervention after just 20 minutes saw Absolute Racing opt to pit immediately, making the No. 911 the first car into the pit lane and dropping it to the rear of the field. From there, the team mounted an impressive recovery, climbing from 25th position to as high as 10th overall in a race marked by high attrition and constant interruptions.
As the event unfolded, strategy proved increasingly difficult to manage, with repeated incidents, accidents and neutralisations continually disrupting momentum and working against the progress of the Absolute Racing Porsche. Just over eight hours into the race, proceedings were halted by a red flag following a major accident, further complicating strategic planning for all teams.
After the restart, additional Safety Car periods made it challenging to capitalise on clean running. Nevertheless, when the race returned to green with just 40 minutes remaining, all four remaining Porsche entries were running inside the overall top 10, firmly in contention for strong results. In the closing stages, Bastian Buus delivered a determined and composed drive, executing multiple overtakes to gain positions in the final sprint to the flag.
The Danish driver ultimately brought the No. 911 home in sixth place overall and fourth in the Pro category, sealing a resilient and well-earned result for Absolute Racing at one of the world’s toughest endurance races.
Team Quotes
Matt Campbell, Absolute Racing
“It was definitely a hard day but we showed solid pace at times. Unfortunately, the strategy never fell our way and it got tough towards the end to hold our position. The team did a fantastic job and the result just didn’t go our way.”
Bastian Buus, Absolute Racing
“The race was eventful with lots of action throughout as we managed to finish sixth overall. It’s not what we came for and we battled back after a few technical issues at the beginning of the enduro. We continued to fight but couldn’t achieve the performance we wanted. Hopefully we’ll be able to come back again and be on top next time.”
Alessio Picariello, Absolute Racing
“We had a great car and also showed strong race pace, but it just wasn’t our day. We were always out of sync with what was happening on track, meaning we were constantly playing catch up. It’s a shame but that’s the way it goes sometimes in racing. Thanks to my teammates and all the crew for their effort all weekend long and I hope to return to this brilliant venue in the future.”
