ST. CHARLES, Ill. (September 14, 2026) — AO Racing added another milestone to its rapidly growing history on Sunday, capturing its first overall GT victory with a commanding performance in the Suzuka 1000km. Partnering with Absolute Racing for its Intercontinental GT Challenge debut, AO by Absolute Racing delivered Porsche’s first overall victory in the iconic Japanese endurance race since 1994.
“It’s hard to put into words how great of an achievement the Suzuka Victory is for AO Racing,” said AO Racing Team Principal Gunnar Jeannette. “We are very grateful for our partnership with Absolute Racing and Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific. All of the drivers were flawless, and the engineering staff made Bushi Rex fly out on the track.”
Among a 30-car field at Suzuka Circuit, the No. 8 Porsche 911 GT3 Rawr of Laurin Heinrich, Alessio Picariello, and Julien Andlauer took Bushi Rex to victory in his first-ever appearance. Bushi Rex, the ancient samurai warrior ancestor of fan-favorite Rexy, made an immediate impact as AO Racing expanded its growing multiverse.
The weekend was anything but straightforward. Persistent rain soaked much of testing, practice, and qualifying, forcing teams to prepare for changing conditions throughout the event. Although race morning began wet, the skies cleared before the green flag, setting the stage for a six-hour battle at Suzuka.
Starting sixth on the grid, AO by Absolute Racing executed a near-flawless race built on patience, strategy, and pace. Picariello opened the race by avoiding trouble and moving the Porsche forward before handing the car to Andlauer, whose strong stint and an exceptional pit stop by the crew vaulted the team into contention. Following the race’s lone full-course caution, Heinrich took over and delivered the decisive charge, carving through the field with a series of bold overtakes to seize the overall lead.
From there, AO by Absolute Racing never looked back. Picariello extended the advantage during the penultimate stint before Heinrich returned for the final two hours, managing the gap and crossing the finish line nearly 50 seconds ahead of the competition. The victory marks AO Racing’s first overall GT win, Porsche’s first overall Suzuka 1000km triumph in 32 years, and another international success for the young team.
Driver Quotes
Laurin Heinrich
“I’m super happy to score a win. This is not only my first in the Intercontinental GT Challenge, but also doing it together with Bushi Rexy and AO by Absolute Racing. It’s a tremendous result. I was always looking forward to coming back to race with Rexy, and to do it in style with a new character, in a new championship. It was a tough challenge.”
Alessio Picariello
“It was a mega race at the Suzuka 1000km. We planned to stay out of trouble at the beginning, and then Laurin picked up the pace and put us in a good spot. The Porsche was amazing today, and the team did an amazing job to give us a rocket. At the end, we won by a big margin, and I’m so proud of it. Thank you to my teammates and everyone at AO by Absolute Racing.”
Julien Andlauer
“It’s cool being back, and with the Bushi Rex, the AO crew, and the first time with Absolute Racing. Being back with Laurin and Alessio, we always have a good time on and off track. This means a lot to us and it helps us have a good weekend and perform properly. We had some ups and downs since the race, but I think everyone stayed calm and made the right decisions in order to be where we are right now. Everyone just did a perfect job during the race. It’s amazing to race for the first time in Suzuka and leave with a win and a trophy. I’m really proud.”