Porsche will field five Porsche 911 GT3 R entries at this weekend’s 23rd running of the Bathurst 12 Hour at Mount Panorama Circuit, as the German marque chases a third outright victory in the Australian endurance classic. The race once again opens the 2026 season of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
Two cars will compete in the Pro class, while three further entries will represent Porsche in the Bronze category, underlining the strength of customer racing operations supported by Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific.
Absolute Racing returns to Bathurst for the second consecutive year and third time overall. The team first competed at Mount Panorama in 2020, when Matt Campbell secured a landmark pole position for Porsche. The Australian will again spearhead the effort, joined by reigning GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup titleholder Alessio Picariello and Porsche Driver Bastian Buus.
Earl Bamber Motorsport, Bathurst 12 Hour overall winner in 2019, returns to the mountain for the first time since 2020. The Pro-class entry features 2024/25 Asian Le Mans Series GT3 champion Klaus Bachler on his Bathurst debut, alongside Laurin Heinrich and Ricardo Feller. Heinrich impressed on his first outing at Mount Panorama last year with second in Pro-Am, while Feller has been a consistent presence on the grid since 2022 and qualified second for the 2025 edition.
In the Bronze class, High Class Racing fields the first of three Porsche entries. Porsche Driver Dorian Boccolacci partners Anders Fjordbach and Kerong Li, the latter pairing having secured Silver-Am victory at Fuji Speedway in GT World Challenge Asia during 2025.
Herberth Motorsport lines up with Ralf Bohn and brothers Alfred and Robert Renauer, continuing a partnership that previously tackled events including the 24 Hours of Spa and Suzuka 1000km. All three drivers will make their Bathurst debuts.
Completing the Porsche line-up is Tsunami RT, entering the Bathurst 12 Hour and Intercontinental GT Challenge for the first time. Fabio Babini and Johannes Zelger, both of whom contested the recent Asian Le Mans Series campaign, are joined by experienced Swiss racer Alex Fontana in the #79 Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific has enjoyed notable recent success at Mount Panorama, supporting overall victories in 2019 with Earl Bamber Motorsport and in 2024 with Manthey. Additional highlights include Campbell’s 2020 pole position and Manthey EMA’s Pro-Am win in 2024.
The 6.213-kilometre Mount Panorama Circuit is regarded as one of the most demanding circuits in global GT racing. Its 23 corners and 174 metres of elevation change create a relentless challenge, with key overtaking opportunities into Griffins Bend at the end of Mountain Straight and under brakes into The Chase following Conrod Straight. The narrow, technical Esses section places particular emphasis on precision and commitment.
As per tradition, the race begins before sunrise, with the 05:45 local time start ensuring the field tackles the opening hour in low light conditions before dawn breaks across the mountain. The 2026 edition also marks the 10th anniversary of the Bathurst 12 Hour’s inclusion in the Intercontinental GT Challenge calendar.
Track to Town activities begin on Thursday, with the first of six practice sessions commencing Friday at 08:45 local time (UTC+11). Qualifying takes place Saturday afternoon, followed by the Pirelli Pole Battle.
Matt Campbell described Bathurst as one of the highlights of his season and expressed confidence in the Absolute Racing line-up. Bastian Buus highlighted the experience within the team, while Alessio Picariello noted the circuit’s status as one of the world’s finest and emphasised the strength of the driver combination.
Klaus Bachler outlined his anticipation ahead of a long-awaited Bathurst debut with Earl Bamber Motorsport, a team with proven success at the event. Laurin Heinrich stressed the value of experience gained during his first appearance, and Ricardo Feller underlined the trio’s objective of fighting for podium positions.
Kerong Li and Dorian Boccolacci both acknowledged the magnitude of the challenge posed by Mount Panorama on their respective debuts, while Anders Fjordbach pointed to the importance of optimising the car for the mountain sector. Fabio Babini and Johannes Zelger emphasised the unforgiving nature of the circuit, and Alex Fontana highlighted the need to maximise track time ahead of qualifying.
Valerio Speziale, Team Principal of Tsunami RT, described the event as a milestone in the team’s development, citing preparation, discipline and teamwork as key factors for the 12-hour contest.
Alexandre Gibot, Managing Director of Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific Ltd., confirmed that Porsche is targeting a third Bathurst victory this weekend. He noted the blend of experienced teams and debutants across the five-car line-up and underlined the challenge posed by the sunrise start and the circuit’s unique demands.
With a competitive Pro-class field and strong Bronze entries, Porsche’s presence at Mount Panorama will again be central to the fight for outright honours as the global GT endurance season gets underway in Australia.
