Absolute Racing to Celebrate 40 Years of Porsche Le Mans Glory at Suzuka 1000KM

Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific customer team Absolute Racing will contest the revived Suzuka 1000km on 12–14 September with a strikingly liveried Porsche 911 GT3 R (Type 992), celebrating the 40th anniversary of a Porsche’s iconic victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The team will field a world-class driver line-up featuring Laurens Vanthoor, alongside Kévin Estre and Patrick Pilet.

As the Intercontinental GT Challenge makes its long-awaited return to Japan for the first time since 2019, Absolute Racing is set to rejoin the Suzuka Summer Endurance Race, having secured back-to-back third-place finishes in the 2018 and 2019 editions of the race when it ran as a 10-hour format.

Marking the team’s third entry into Japan’s premier GT3 event, Absolute Racing brings a formidable crew of Porsche factory talent who have raced for the team before. Laurens Vanthoor, who won the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring this year, made his debut with Absolute Racing at the 2024 FIA GT World Cup in Macau. Kévin Estre returns to the squad following an eventful first outing with the team at the 2019 FIA GT World Cup on Macau’s legendary Circuito da Guia. Patrick Pilet, meanwhile, has been a key part of Absolute Racing’s GT World Challenge Asia Powered by AWS campaign this season, regularly competing in the No. 911 Absolute Racing Porsche entry.

The Porsche works trio will race the No. 7 Porsche 911 GT3 R in a distinctive yellow and black livery, paying homage to the legendary 1985 Le Mans-winning Porsche 956. This special design commemorates the 40th anniversary of a Porsche customer team’s overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans — a milestone in the brand’s endurance racing heritage.

The appearance at Suzuka Circuit also continues Porsche’s proud legacy at the event, with the German manufacturer having claimed 11 overall victories in the 1000km race between 1967 and 1994.

“We are delighted to return to Asia’s premier GT3 endurance race. Competing with a trio of world-class drivers, in collaboration with Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific and under an iconic Porsche customer racing livery, provides the team with tremendous motivation. This entry brings not only excitement, but also a clear sense of responsibility. Suzuka holds special memories for Absolute Racing, and we are fully committed to building on our past successes and delivering a strong performance once again.”

“As one of our long-standing customers, we’re delighted to be teaming up again with Absolute Racing at the Suzuka 1000km, a race they have enjoyed success at! The driver line-up of Laurens, Kévin and Patrick is very competitive, and we know how professional and competitive the team is at every event it attends. I can’t wait to see that iconic yellow and black livery on track and will be keeping a close eye on their progress!”

"I’m really looking forward to it. Japan, and especially Suzuka, is always a fantastic place to visit, so it’s a great event to be part of. We’ll have a special livery and all that, which makes it even more exciting. Suzuka is, of course, an iconic circuit. With Kevin and Patrick alongside me, I think we have everything in place to achieve a good result. It’s a trip and a race I’m genuinely excited about, and hopefully, we’ll enjoy some success.”

"I’m really looking forward to the Suzuka 1000km. I’ve raced there once before, and it was fantastic to drive on such an amazing track. The result wasn’t great, so I’m hoping we can do better this time. With Patrick, Laurens, and Absolute Racing, I’m confident we have a strong package to achieve something special — though the competition will certainly be tough. I’m also excited to drive this iconic car with its iconic livery. Let’s aim to write another chapter in Porsche’s history with this striking design.

“I’m super excited to race at Suzuka — it will be my first time competing in this event. I love this track and have great memories there. Driving alongside Laurens and Kevin is absolutely perfect; we all work really well together. We’re eager for some redemption after the last race, which didn’t go as we hoped. The goal is clear: to win this race, especially with Absolute Racing and the strong package of drivers, engineers, and everyone involved. I’m really motivated and confident that we have a great chance to achieve an excellent result.”