Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific announces strategic collaboration with Porsche Carrera Cup Japan while confirming thrilling 2026 calendar

Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific today announces a strategic collaboration with Porsche Japan K.K. as the new partner fully responsible for operating Porsche Carrera Cup Japan from the 2026 campaign onwards. Under this new arrangement, Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific will leverage expertise from running Porsche Carrera Cup Asia with the target of replicating its success in the prestigious Japanese One-Make Series.

This significant change will ensure Porsche Carrera Cup Japan’s renewed position as a domestic leader in One-Make Series in Japan. Building on its 25-year history catering to both young talents and skilled amateur drivers, the series will provide a unique platform to all partners reflecting Porsche’s motorsport history, family spirit and exclusivity.

As part of the agreement, the championship is excited to welcome Hideto Yasuoka as the new Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Series Manager. The highly experienced racer was the Porsche Japan Junior Driver between 2010 and 2011, winning Porsche Carrera Cup Japan during the 2011 campaign, before spending several years in Super GT. More recently he competed for the marque in GT World Challenge Asia during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. The 42-year-old has played a key role in founding and developing the Magarigawa Club since 2020 and has also been a driver coach at the track. Yasuoka’s motorsport background and experience both on and off-track, as well as his deep connection to the Porsche brand, provides him with unique insights and perspective which will lead Porsche Carrera Cup Japan into a new era. He will also receive support from Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Manager Alexandre Imperatori to ensure a smooth transition to his new position.

Stepping into his new role, Yasuoka will aim to enhance the Junior and Young Driver Development Programme to reflect and continue Porsche’s rich traditions of developing future stars, while providing concrete and unique career development opportunities for young talents in Japan. For amateurs, the focus is on ensuring a cost-effective platform, with an excellent car like the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992), where they can develop their skills and test themselves at some of the best venues and largest events Japan has to offer. They will also be part of a trademark Porsche exclusive environment while benefiting from a heightened level of service and attention to detail.

The 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Japan calendar has also been confirmed, with plenty of exciting action to look forward to. After the Official Test Days in Suzuka at the beginning of March, the championship then gets underway on the support bill of the Japanese Grand Prix at the end of the month. After heading to Okayama in May, it’s then back-to-back weekends alongside Super Formula at Fuji Speedway in July and Sportsland SUGO in August. The final two events of the campaign see Porsche Carrera Cup Japan supporting two of the biggest endurance championships in the world. Rounds 8 and 9 take place at Suzuka on the same weekend of Intercontinental GT Challenge’s Suzuka 1000km, before the season finale two weeks later at the Fuji 6 Hours with World Endurance Championship (WEC).

More details for the 2026 season will be announced at a ‘Formation Lap’ event in November in Tokyo, with the vision of providing an unparalleled sporting experience for all involved. This will include information relevant to the Porsche Dealer Network in Japan, with dealer support in Porsche Carrera Cup Japan being crucial and continuing to remain as the backbone of the series. Their involvement in the championship is highly valued both on and off the track in close partnership. For this reason, it’s vital to provide an environment for fair and exciting competition that will further support their growth. 

As the longest running One-Make Series in the country, Porsche Carrera Cup Japan was launched in 2001 and enters its 26th season of competition in 2026. Many drivers who have competed in the championship have gone onto race in both GT500 and GT300 classes in Super GT. Drivers are placed into three classes based on their previous experiences in motorsport which are Pro, Pro-Am and Am. Pro is for the professional drivers, with Pro-Am being aimed at those aged 30 and over with a Bronze FIA rating, while the Am category is for racers with a high level of skill, but less of a professional background, who meet specific eligibility criteria. The top 15 finishers score points ranging from 25 down to one in the overall standings, with the same system used for each individual category.

The partnership will also benefit from Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s long-standing success in multiple One-Make Series, having launched Porsche Carrera Cup Asia in 2003 as Asia’s premier single-make racing series, holding its first race in Malaysia. Over the past 22 seasons of competition, it has grown to become a significant platform for both professional drivers and skilled amateurs. 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia champion Alessandro Ghiretti recently won the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup title, showing how crucial the series can be in launching international careers.

Additionally, Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific runs championships such as Porsche Sprint Trophy Thailand, Porsche Sprint Challenge Indonesia and Porsche Sports Cup China. These series are vital to developing young talents through Talent Pool programmes and ensuring they climb the Porsche pyramid, receiving the best support along the way. 

Hideto Yasuoka, Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Series Manager: “I’m delighted to take on the role as Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Series Manager, as I believe a strong Carrera Cup championship is essential for the future of Japanese motorsport and especially to help young talents stepping up to the global racing scene. The Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) is such a fun car to drive and it helps drivers to learn and further develop their skills. I have fond memories of my time in the 997, which I competed in when I took part in Porsche Carrera Cup Japan previously. I would like to thank Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific and Porsche Japan for putting their trust in me, and I believe I’m the right person for the role. It’s a huge challenge for me in an unfamiliar environment, but I will do everything I can to exceed all expectations, since I want to return the excellent backing I received when I was a Porsche Japan Junior. I hope to receive support from all the Japanese racing community sharing a similar vision.”

Immo Buschmann, President and CEO Porsche Japan K. K.: “Porsche and motorsport are inseparable and motorsport is in Porsche’s DNA. Porsche Carrera Cup Japan is a cornerstone of the marque in the country and has a rich 25-year history. We are looking forward to this new collaboration and partnership with Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific in order to elevate the championship for the next 25 years and beyond. 2026 promises to be an exciting season with an incredible calendar giving our customers the opportunity to race at some of the country’s biggest and most prestigious motorsport events.”

Michael Dreiser, Director Sales Porsche Motorsport: “The global One-Make Series platform is of key importance and significance to Porsche, with Porsche Carrera Cup Japan being a vital part of this network for 25 years. It’s a great development that the championship will now see a strategic collaboration between Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific and Porsche Japan K.K. moving forward. The new Series Manager, Hideto Yasuoka, brings great experience in his new role as Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Series Manager and a valuable perspective, having been both a Porsche Japan Junior Driver and Porsche Carrera Cup Japan winner. We’re looking forward to seeing the championship’s evolution under this new structure.”

Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd.: “It’s a great new development and an honour for Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific to be collaborating with Porsche Japan K.K. to operate Porsche Carrera Cup Japan. We take the responsibility of leading the championship from next year seriously, and will be drawing on the experience we have internally operating multiple One-Make Series in the region including Porsche Carrera Cup Asia. We’re confident and optimistic about this partnership and would like to thank Porsche Motorsport and Porsche Japan for their trust. The 2026 calendar features iconic tracks and gives the competitors the chance to race at some incredible events across Japan, such as on the support bills of the Japanese Grand Prix, 6 Hours of Fuji, Super Formula and Suzuka 1000km. We’re looking forward to introducing Hideto Yasuoka, the new Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Series Manager, to customers and dealers along with presenting some exciting new developments for the series. These include getting ready for a successful next season, as well as preparing for the introduction of the new Porsche 911 Cup for the 2027 campaign.”

2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Calendar