GTWC Asia powered by AWS returns this weekend at Fuji Speedway, with Rounds 5 and 6 of 2026 taking the continental series to the foothills of Mount Fuji.
The championship resumes more than two months after Mandalika, where Absolute Racing’s Huang Ruohan and Alessandro Ghiretti strengthened their overall lead to 20 points. Their consistency has shaped the season so far, with the pair finishing on the overall podium in all four races.
However, Fuji now brings fresh pressure. Success penalties, Porsche’s strong recent record at the circuit, and the return of several competitive entries all promise another crucial weekend in the title fight.
Huang and Ghiretti lead Absolute Racing’s title push
Huang and Ghiretti arrive in Japan as the clear championship leaders after an impressive start to the season. The Absolute Racing Porsche crew has combined pace with consistency, and that balance has allowed them to build a commanding gap at the front.
Yet their success also brings an added challenge. The pair will carry another success penalty in Race 1, something they have already had to overcome several times this season. Even so, Fuji’s recent history should give them confidence, as Porsche has won three of the last four GT World Challenge Asia races at the circuit.
That record also matters beyond the Asian championship. Porsche has claimed three outright wins from the first four races this season, strengthening its position as one of the form manufacturers in the region. Meanwhile, it continues to chase Mercedes-AMG in the global GT World Challenge standings, where only 15 points separate the two German marques after the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
Liu and Boccolacci aim to close the gap as 2026 GTWC Asia arrives at Mount Fuji
Anthony Liu remains Huang and Ghiretti’s closest challenger after finally claiming a long-awaited victory at Mandalika. He achieved that win with Loek Hartog, who stepped in for Dorian Boccolacci at the Indonesian round.
This weekend, Boccolacci returns alongside Liu. However, their Race 1 strategy will need to absorb a 15-second success penalty during the pit stop window. That extra time could make Qualifying and early track position even more important, especially at a circuit where clean air can shape race pace.
Even with that penalty, Liu’s previous Fuji success gives the crew reason to believe it can cut into Absolute Racing’s lead.
Phantom Racing duo chase a breakthrough
The Race 1 penalties for the championship’s top two crews could open the door for Audi Sport Asia Team Phantom.
Cheng Congfu and Yu Kuai revived their title hopes at Mandalika by winning the opening race. However, they still sit 33 points behind the leaders, which makes Fuji a vital opportunity. As a Silver pairing, they should have the pace to qualify strongly, and a clean Race 1 could put them directly into contention.
Their team-mates Andres Pato and Jaxon Evans also arrive with momentum after a double podium at Mandalika. They sit just one point behind Cheng and Yu, giving Phantom two crews capable of disrupting the championship order.
Meanwhile, Lu Wei enters the weekend fifth in the standings and shares the Origine Porsche with factory driver Laurin Heinrich. Origine has won at Fuji in each of the last two years, so that combination could quickly become a major factor.
Silver, Silver-Am and Am battles remain close
The class fights also carry important storylines into Fuji.
Akash Nandy continues to lead the Silver class after extending his advantage at Mandalika. In Silver-Am, Dean Chen and Alex Jiatong dominated the previous round with Craft-Bamboo, winning twice and also taking control of the China Cup standings.
However, Fuji brings a change. Chen and Liang currently lead Silver-Am, but Liang has a new co-driver this weekend, 2024 Japan Cup champion and former Super Taikyu title winner Daisuke Yamawaki. That switch also prevents Liang from scoring China Cup points at Fuji, giving Cheng and Yu a chance to overturn their two-point deficit.
In Am, Liu Hangcheng and Wang Zhongwei have established themselves as the pairing to beat. They now face another important test as the category battle enters the middle phase of the season.
Guest entries add depth to 2026 GTWC Asia Fuji grid
Fuji also features several additions to the GT World Challenge Asia field.
GT World America duo Kyle Washington and Tom Sargent join Absolute Racing for a one-off Porsche entry in Silver-Am, although they cannot score points. Absolute also fields two more guest cars, with Andy Tan and Thierry Vermeulen swapping their familiar Ferrari for an Audi R8, a car with which the team has enjoyed major success in Asia.
The team’s Am programme also expands, as Malaysians Aaron Lim Say Joon and Haziq Zairel Oh contest the class in a Porsche.
Elsewhere, former series regulars LM Corsa and Shigekazu Wakisaka return, while Chen Weian joins Silver contender Liu Kaishun in Harmony’s #96 Ferrari. KRC brings factory strength through Max Hesse in one of its BMWs, and Atsushi Miyake returns to 5ZIGEN’s Nissan after a Super GT clash kept him out of Mandalika.
However, Absolute Racing will run without Vutthikorn Inthraphuvasak this weekend after an operation forced him to miss Fuji on medical grounds. The #918 Porsche should return at Okayama.
Japan Cup resumes after tight Sugo opener, supporting 2026 GTWC Asia at Fuji
SRO’s Japan Cup also returns at Fuji after opening its season at Sugo in mid-May.
Only two of the championship’s eight hour-long races have taken place so far, and the early standings remain extremely close. Ukyo Sasahara and Shinji Takei lead the way, but only two points cover the top three crews.
That narrow margin gives Fuji extra importance. With four GT World Challenge Asia and Japan Cup races split across Saturday and Sunday, the weekend offers several chances for the domestic championship to shift before the season reaches its second half.
SRO GT Powertour brings full support package to Fuji
The Fuji weekend also includes a varied support programme. Porsche Sprint Challenge Japan, Road Star Cup and Road Star Party Race join the timetable, adding further variety to the SRO GT Powertour event.
Fans at the circuit will also see a paddock display featuring some of the world’s rarest hypercars, while Saturday and Sunday both include a fan pitwalk.
Qualifying and all four SRO 60-minute races will stream live with English and Japanese commentary on the GT World YouTube channel and official app. With the overall, class and Japan Cup battles all finely poised, Fuji should play a major role in shaping the next phase of the GT World Challenge Asia season.
GTWC Asia Provisional Entry List
