Absolute Corse’s Lamborghini squad secured a double podium finish in the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS at Fuji International Speedway, with Huang Ruohan and Akash Nandy delivering a strong performance. The newly formed pairing of Vincenzo Ricci and Loris Spinelli also impressed with a standout showing.
For the first race of the series on Japanese soil, series newcomer Vincenzo Ricci —who made his debut behind the wheel of a Lamborghini during the Super Trofeo Asia round at Fuji — was joined by Loris Spinelli as the pair teamed up in the No. 19 Absolute Corse Lamborghini Huracán GT3 entry in the Pro-Am class. On the other side of the garage, the Silver-Am pairing of Huang Ruohan and Akash Nandy returned to action, aiming to add more silverware to their collection.
Qualifying results were mixed across both cars. Ricci, competing under a Filipino licence, made his series debut in Q1 and placed 28th, while Spinelli demonstrated strong pace in Q2, setting the eighth-fastest time despite having one lap deleted for exceeding track limits. In the sister car, Huang Ruohan secured a solid seventh place on the grid, while Nandy could only manage 21st in his session.
In a Safety Car-disrupted opening race on Saturday afternoon, Huang and Nandy came tantalisingly close to claiming their first Silver-Am class victory of the season. Following two strong stints from both drivers, their charge was halted by a five-second time penalty for running alongside another car in the fast lane beyond pit exit during the mandatory pit stop. The penalty dropped the Chinese-Malaysian pairing from first to second in class. They ultimately finished ninth overall, securing their fifth Silver-Am podium of the campaign.
Meanwhile, Ricci and Spinelli crossed the line in 28th after an eventful 146.01-kilometre contest. Their race was compromised when Ricci was handed a drive-through penalty for allegedly causing a collision, hindering any chance of a stronger result.
Sunday morning delivered a chaotic race in many respects. Demonstrating strong pace and confidence, Spinelli made an excellent start, quickly climbing into the top six and overtaking for fifth position.
With no performance handicap, Ricci rejoined the race in second overall after the pit stop, with a pack of Asia’s top GT Bronze drivers right behind him. Unfazed, Ricci maintained a solid pace and avoided errors, defending his position for as long as possible.
A Safety Car period bunched up the field, and the restart proved hectic, with several incidents and contact between cars. Ricci kept a cool head, avoided trouble, and brought the car home in fourth place overall and in the Pro-Am class.
Nandy and Huang also faced a Herculean task, starting from 21st on the grid. Avoiding the chaos and staying composed, the Malaysian-Chinese duo steadily made their way through the field, gaining an impressive 15 positions to finish sixth overall. In doing so, they secured a valuable second place in the Silver-Am Cup — a result that now puts them second in the championship standings, with four races still to go.
The GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS continues at Okayama International Circuit from 29th to 31st August, forming part of the SRO GT Powertour weekend in Japan.
