2026 Suzuka 1000km | Paid Test 1 | Güven puts Absolute Racing Porsche on top in wet opener

Absolute Racing topped the opening test session for the 2026 Suzuka 1000km, with Ayhancan Güven setting the pace aboard the #7 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo.

Persistent light rain left Suzuka Circuit wet throughout the one-hour Friday morning session, but Güven produced a 2:11.077 to establish the early benchmark. The reigning DTM champion finished 0.397 seconds clear of Maxime Martin in the #77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing entry.

Max Hesse completed a three-manufacturer top three for Team KRC, while the newly-built Miedecke Motorsport by Team MPC Ford Mustang GT3 Evo impressed on its first running by finishing fourth.

Güven leads wet 2026 Suzuka 1000km Test 1

Güven set his session-leading 2:11.077 on the sixth lap of the #7 Absolute Racing Porsche’s programme. Sharing the Bosch-liveried car with Alessandro Ghiretti and Dorian Boccolacci, the Turkish driver remained comfortably at the head of the field as teams worked through the wet conditions.

Martin came closest in the #77 Craft-Bamboo Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. His 2:11.474 left him 0.397 seconds behind Güven, while Hesse followed another 0.120 seconds back with a 2:11.594 in the #89 Team KRC BMW M4 GT3 EVO.

Hesse’s effort also put the BMW at the top of the Bronze classification, despite competing against a sizeable collection of Pro entries near the front.

New Ford makes impressive Suzuka 1000km debut

Miedecke Motorsport by Team MPC produced one of the standout performances of the opening session as its new #64 Ford Mustang GT3 Evo finished fourth.

Dennis Olsen set a 2:11.703 on the car’s first morning of running, leaving the Ford just 0.626 seconds away from the outright benchmark. The Mustang also finished within 0.229 seconds of second-placed Martin.

Kevin Tse followed in fifth aboard Craft-Bamboo Racing’s #28 Mercedes-AMG. His 2:11.742 made him the fastest Pro-Am driver, while Joel Sturm put the #86 High Class Racing Porsche sixth overall and second in Bronze with a 2:11.744.

Only 0.667 seconds separated the opening six cars, with Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, BMW and Ford all represented.

K-tunes leads Japanese teams in wet Suzuka test

K-tunes Racing emerged as the highest-placed Japanese squad during Test 1, with SUPER GT regular Sena Sakaguchi putting the #96 Lexus RC F GT3 seventh overall.

Sakaguchi recorded a 2:11.765, leaving him 0.688 seconds behind Güven. Bingo Racing with LM Corsa followed in eighth as Ukyo Sasahara set a 2:12.065 in the #9 Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo.

Ferrari then occupied the final two places inside the top 10. Late Maezawa Racing addition Alessio Rovera set a 2:12.106 in the #555 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo to take ninth, while Tadasuke Makino recorded a 2:12.189 for PONOS Racing in 10th.

The top 10 therefore featured six manufacturers, with Porsche, Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Ford, Lexus and Ferrari all represented.

Early Full Course Yellow interrupts 2026 Suzuka 1000km Test 1

Despite the persistent rain, the session ran relatively smoothly for most of the hour. An early Full Course Yellow provided the main interruption after the #93 Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing Porsche stopped on track with reported engine trouble.

The car completed only five laps and finished 23rd with a best time of 2:13.343.

While one Absolute Racing Porsche led the field, the sister #8 AO by Absolute Racing entry finished at the bottom of the 30-car classification. Alessio Picariello set its best lap of 2:23.578, 12.501 seconds away from Güven’s benchmark.

However, the #8 crew spent much of the session bedding in brakes rather than pursuing outright lap time, while the car showed more competitive sector pace at several stages.

2026 Suzuka 1000km Test 1 results

1. #7 Absolute Racing Porsche — Ayhancan Güven — 2:11.077
2. #77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing — Maxime Martin — +0.397s
3. #89 Team KRC BMW — Max Hesse — +0.517s
4. #64 Miedecke Motorsport by Team MPC Ford — Dennis Olsen — +0.626s
5. #28 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG — Kevin Tse — +0.665s
6. #86 High Class Racing Porsche — Joel Sturm — +0.667s
7. #96 K-tunes Racing Lexus — Sena Sakaguchi — +0.688s
8. #9 Bingo Racing with LM Corsa Porsche — Ukyo Sasahara — +0.988s
9. #555 Maezawa Racing Ferrari — Alessio Rovera — +1.029s
10. #45 PONOS Racing Ferrari — Tadasuke Makino — +1.112s
11. #25 Porsche Center Okazaki NK Racing Porsche — +1.124s
12. #69 Team WRT BMW — +1.227s
13. #75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG — +1.388s
14. #72 Harmony Racing Ferrari — +1.425s
15. #60 LM Corsa Ferrari — +1.430s
16. #500 Team 5ZIGEN Nissan — +1.745s
17. #61 EBM Giga Racing Porsche — +1.752s
18. #80 LM Corsa Ferrari — +1.758s
19. #10 Team KRC BMW — +1.811s
20. #18 Porsche Center Okazaki Nine Racing Porsche — +1.819s
21. #81 Team Daishin Nissan — +1.934s
22. #2 Johor Motorsports Racing Corvette — +2.185s
23. #93 Ziggo Sport Tempesta Racing Porsche — +2.266s
24. #99 Johor Motorsports Racing Corvette — +2.267s
25. #5 PLUS with BMW M Team Studie BMW — +2.300s
26. #181 Norik Racing Ferrari — +2.779s
27. #91 Herberth Motorsport Porsche — +2.779s
28. #79 Tsunami RT Porsche — +3.336s
29. #360 Runup Sports Nissan — +3.542s
30. #8 AO by Absolute Racing Porsche — +12.501s

The official classification recorded rain and a wet track throughout the session, which ran from 09:10 to 10:10 local time.

Suzuka 1000km field prepares for Test 2

The opening hour gave the its first opportunity of the weekend to assess car balance, tyre behaviour and wet-weather performance around the 5.807-kilometre circuit.

Test 2 follows at 12:10 local time, giving the teams another opportunity to build mileage before the remainder of the 2026 Suzuka 1000km weekend.