As Porsche Carrera Cup Asia returned to Fuji Speedway, Absolute Racing returned to the overall podium with Marvin Klein taking second and third place finishes across the two races.
For this round at Japan's most celebrated circuit, Marvin Klein rejoined the cockpit of the #88 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 Cup (Type 992.2), while Indonesian driver Andy Tan made his series debut at the wheel of the #89 Absolute Racing Porsche 911 Cup (Type 992.2).
In Saturday's first qualifying session, Marvin Klein once again demonstrated the depth of experience he has built within the Porsche Carrera Cup one-make series. The Frenchman secured pole position with a fastest lap of 1m40.466s; a significant breakthrough for Absolute Racing and the team's first pole since returning to the Carrera Cup Asia grid. In the second qualifying session, Klein remained highly competitive, continuing to improve his pace despite the evolving track conditions and ultimately finishing inside the overall top three.
Team-mate Andy Tan also delivered a composed performance. Competing in the keenly contested Am category, he secured fourth in class during the first session before maintaining a consistent rhythm in the second to finish fifth in Am, putting himself in a strong position ahead of the races.
Starting from pole for the opening race of the weekend on Saturday afternoon, Klein was compromised on the run to Turn 1 by the demands of Fuji's starting layout and the heavy traffic around him, briefly slipping to third. The experienced driver regrouped swiftly, however, and launched a strong recovery to reclaim second position in the early stages.
From that point on, Klein produced excellent race management combined with relentless pace. Applying sustained pressure to the leader over several laps, he steadily closed the gap and repeatedly challenged for the position. Although a decisive overtaking opportunity never presented itself, he maintained a consistently high tempo and brought the car home safely in second place, securing Absolute Racing's first overall podium of the weekend.
Andy Tan's afternoon came to a premature end after he was caught up in an on-track incident, denying him the opportunity to convert his encouraging pace into a points finish.
Sunday's second race offered relatively little drama for Klein. The 16-corner, 4.563-kilometre layout always poses a stern challenge, and having started third, he held station throughout to take the flag in the same position at the end of 15 laps.
Andy Tan had a far more eventful afternoon, crossing the line fifth in the Am class. However, the Indonesian debutant was handed a post-race penalty - a drive-through converted to a 30-second time penalty for causing a collision - which dropped him to eighth.
Reflecting on the weekend, Team Principal Fabien Fior said: "Securing pole position for Race 1 and achieving a double podium in Fuji is a strong result. We showed clear progress throughout the weekend, and we’ll keep pushing to become even stronger and more competitive."
The Fuji round marked the halfway point of the 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season. The grid returns to action at Bangsaen, Thailand on 4–5 July.
