Estre, Vanthoor and Pilet complete star-studded Suzuka 1000km line-up for Absolute Racing

The three drivers know each other well, having competed in the same car at the 2024 Spa 24 Hours, while Estre and Vanthoor have also been Porsche Penske Motorsport teammates in World Endurance Championship since 2023.

Since becoming a Porsche driver in 2016, French driver Estre has built up an exceptional racing CV, taking wins in several major endurance races, including LMGTE success in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and overall victories in both Nürburgring 24 Hours and Spa 24 Hours. He won the WEC title in 2024 and has previously raced with Porsche in the Asia-Pacific region at the Macau Grand Prix.

Just like Estre, with whom he won the 2024 WEC title, Vanthoor has also had an extremely successful career with Porsche since joining the marque in 2017. The Belgian driver also won the Bathurst 12 Hours last year, along with second place at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. The Belgian has added victories in two more of the world’s most prestigious endurance races to his record already in 2025, taking top spot at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and 12 Hours of Sebring.

The highly-experienced GT racer Pilet completes the trio. Having driven for Porsche for more than a decade, the Frenchman has taken LMGTE race wins in WEC along with success in the United States, with a Rolex 24 at Daytona triumph joining a trio of Sebring 12 Hours wins. No stranger to the region, Pilet has been competing in GT World Challenge Asia since 2023, taking multiple victories and podiums.

For this event, selected Porsche entries will be running special liveries to commemorate the return of the historic Suzuka 1000km on the calendar for the first time since 2019. Absolute Racing have taken inspiration from the 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans race-winning NewMan Joest Racing Porsche 956B, with a striking yellow and black livery.

The squad clinched third at the most recent hosting of the event in 2019, and returns in the #7 Porsche 911 GT3 R. Based in Shanghai, Absolute Racing is a long time Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific customer team, competing with the marque in numerous championships and events, including GT World Challenge Asia, Thailand Super Series, Bathurst 12 Hour and FIA GT World Cup in Macau. The team also has a long history in Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, taking numerous race wins and titles in the single-make championship.

The best-represented brand at the event, Porsche has 11 entries taking on Suzuka International Racing Course as it aims to add to its record of 11 victories at the race on 12-14 September.

Laurens Vanthoor, Absolute Racing: “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, which makes it even more exciting. Suzuka is an iconic circuit and 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.”

Kévin Estre, Absolute Racing: “I’m hugely excited 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 team to achieve something special, though the competition will certainly be tough. I’m also excited to drive this car with its iconic livery. Let’s aim to write another chapter in Porsche’s history with this striking design.”

Patrick Pilet, Absolute Racing: “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 as we all work really well together. The goal is clear, we want to win this race, especially with Absolute Racing and the strong line-up of drivers, engineers. I’m really motivated and confident that we have a great chance to achieve an excellent result.”

Fabien Fior, Absolute Racing Team Principal: “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 in an iconic Porsche customer racing livery, provides the team with huge 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.”

Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd.: “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!”