BATHURST, AUSTRALIA — In a stunning display of endurance and skill, Porsche customer team High Class Racing exceeded all expectations at the 2026 Bathurst 12 Hour, securing an overall podium finish and a class victory.
A Historic Performance at Mount Panorama
The Bathurst 12 Hour, a crown jewel of the Asian-Pacific racing calendar held at the treacherous 6.213-kilometer Mount Panorama Circuit, saw a field of five Porsche 911 GT3 R entries take the start at 5:45 a.m. on Sunday.
The standout story of the weekend was the #86 Porsche of High Class Racing. Despite starting deep in the field at 32nd place, the trio of Dorian Boccolacci (France), Anders Fjordbach (Denmark), and Jialun Li (China)—all making their circuit debuts—methodically carved through the pack.
“It’s just crazy what we’ve achieved,” said Boccolacci. “Finishing second overall and winning the Bronze class, we exceeded all expectations”.
Turbulent Final Stages
The race was marked by several critical moments:
- Wildlife Incident: An early accident involving wildlife triggered a lengthy safety car phase.
- Red Flag Interruption: A serious accident involving Tsunami RT’s 911 knocked them out of the bronze lead and resulted in a significant race stoppage.
- Late-Race Charge: When the race restarted with just 40 minutes remaining, Boccolacci surged from fourth to second place. He crossed the finish line just over one second behind the winning crew of Maro Engel, Mikael Grenier, and Maxime Martin.
Mixed Fortunes for Professional Crews
While the customer teams celebrated, Porsche’s professional entries faced a more challenging day:
- Absolute Racing: Drivers Matt Campbell, Alessio Picariello, and Bastian Buus started fourth but lost contact with the leaders after an early pit stop strategy failed to pay off. They eventually finished sixth.
- Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM): The team of Laurin Heinrich, Klaus Bachler, and Ricardo Feller was forced to start from the back of the grid due to a qualifying technical infringement involving an incorrectly adjusted rear wing. Despite a “flawless performance” to move back into the top 10 by halftime, they finished eighth overall.
- Herberth Motorsport: The German squad of Ralf Bohn, Robert Renauer, and Alfred Renauer secured 11th overall and fourth in the bronze classification.
Porsche’s Endurance Legacy
Since 2016, the Bathurst 12 Hour has served as the season opener for the Intercontinental GT Challenge. Porsche, a three-time manufacturer’s champion (2019, 2020, and 2024), continues to be a dominant force at the mountain. While the factory-backed pros fought for position, the 2026 race belonged to the “surprising” performance of the customer teams who beat out numerous all-professional lineups.
