2025 Suzuka 1000km: Porsche’s All-Star Line-Up Ready to Compete
Reigning FIA World Endurance Champions Kévin Estre and Laurens Vanthoor will team up with fellow Porsche factory driver Patrick Pilet at Absolute Racing’s #7 Porsche 911 GT3 R for the 49th Suzuka 1000km on September 14. This marks the first return of Estre, Vanthoor, and Pilet to the same vehicle since the 2024 Spa 24 Hours.
The trio boasts an impressive pedigree, with shared accolades including two Le Mans 24 Hours class wins, three overall victories at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, three Spa 24H wins, two Daytona 24 Hours wins, and six Sebring 12 Hours wins. In previous Suzuka outings, Estre and Vanthoor collaborated in the 2018 Suzuka Summer Endurance Race, and they secured the FIA World Endurance Championship title in 2022.
Vanthoor expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “Japan, and especially Suzuka, is always a fantastic place to visit. With Kevin and Patrick alongside me, I think we have everything in place to achieve a good result.” Estre echoed this sentiment, noting, “I’m hugely excited for the Suzuka 1000km… with Patrick, Laurens and Absolute Racing, I’m confident we have a strong team to achieve something special.”
Pilet, who has raced part-time in the GT World Challenge Asia since 2023, is set for his first start in the Suzuka 1000km. He remarked, “Driving alongside Laurens and Kevin is absolutely perfect… We want to win this race.”
Absolute Racing, based in Shanghai, has a history at Suzuka, finishing third in the 2019 Suzuka 10 Hours before the event’s five-year hiatus due to the pandemic. Team Principal Fabien Fior emphasized the excitement and responsibility of returning, highlighting the significance of the event for the team.
Porsche, with a record 11 overall victories in the Suzuka 1000km, will feature several heritage liveries, with Absolute Racing’s yellow and black #7 car inspired by the 1985 Le Mans-winning NewMan Joest Racing Porsche 956B. Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director of Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific, expressed confidence in the team’s potential, stating, “The driver line-up… is very competitive, and I can’t wait to see that iconic yellow and black livery on track.”
As the motorsport community anticipates this historic event, the combination of top-tier drivers and a storied legacy promises a compelling chapter in the Suzuka 1000km’s history.
