The 2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Asia season reached its halfway mark in dramatic fashion at Japan’s iconic Fuji Speedway, where Marcus Amand delivered a commanding double victory to further strengthen his championship ambitions.

The BWT Shanghai Yonda driver entered the opening race from the front row alongside Absolute Racing’s Marvin Klein, but it was Origine Motorsport’s Ling Kang who initially surged into the lead from sixth on the grid. However, Kang’s impressive launch would later be overshadowed by a jump-start penalty, reshaping the battle at the front.

Meanwhile, Team Porsche Malaysia’s Naquib Azlan showed excellent pace off the line and looked set to challenge for a maiden podium of the season. Unfortunately, contact at Turn 1 sent the Malaysian spinning out of contention before the race had properly settled.

Amand capitalised on the early chaos, overtaking Klein before the end of the opening lap to seize control of the race. Once in front, the Porsche Junior steadily built a gap while Klein followed closely behind. Further back, Team Porsche New Zealand’s Marco Giltrap entertained fans with an intense fight against Kang before eventually securing third place with a decisive move.

Amand ultimately crossed the finish line just over a second ahead of Klein, while Giltrap completed the podium to continue his strong start to the campaign.

The Pro-Am category also delivered major drama. Origine Motorsport’s Wang Zhongwei initially appeared to have secured another class victory after finishing first on track, but a post-race technical infringement resulted in disqualification. The penalty handed the win to guest driver Kerong Li of OpenRoad Racing.

In the Am category, Origine Motorsport’s Wu Jiaxin emerged victorious after an incredibly tight contest that saw the top four drivers separated by less than two seconds. Championship leader Roy Tang finished second for 610 Racing, ahead of Bergwerk siblings Henry and Eric Kwong.

The Masters class produced one of the weekend’s most exciting finales. OpenRoad Racing’s Christian Chia executed a brilliant final-lap charge to snatch victory from Modena Motorsports’ John Shen and Porsche Own Retail 69 Team’s Jacky Wu.

Sunday’s race brought another thrilling chapter to the Fuji weekend. Azlan secured pole position for the fifth time in six races, underlining his remarkable qualifying form throughout the season. Yet despite the Malaysian’s pace, Amand once again found a way through during the opening lap with a clever overtaking move.

The race soon evolved into a tense strategic battle at the front, with Klein holding firm in third while the leaders traded quick lap times. A Safety Car period following Shen’s retirement compressed the field and set up a dramatic restart.

Azlan launched an aggressive attack in pursuit of his first series victory, relentlessly pressuring Amand over the closing laps. However, the Frenchman defended superbly and held on to claim victory by just three-tenths of a second. Klein completed the podium only fractions further behind after a thrilling three-way finish.

Wang Zhongwei bounced back strongly on Sunday to secure another Pro-Am victory, his third of the season, while 610 Racing’s Li Hanyu impressed with second place in class.

The Am category saw reigning 2024 champion Eric Kwong claim his first class victory of the year, helping him close the gap to title rival Roy Tang, who endured a difficult race and finished eighth. Henry Kwong completed a memorable one-two result for Bergwerk, with Saturday winner Wu Jiaxin rounding out the podium.

In Masters, reigning champion Adrian D’Silva returned to winning form for EBM after an entertaining race-long battle with Christian Chia and Jacky Wu.

Reflecting on his successful weekend, Amand praised both his team and closest rivals after extending his championship advantage.

“It’s been a great season so far, and we’re improving at every event,” said Amand. “Today, Naquib was really quick and kept the pressure on throughout the race, but we managed to stay calm and secure the win.”

Wang Zhongwei remained positive despite losing Saturday’s victory after post-race scrutineering.

“It’s disappointing to lose the win, but that’s motorsport,” he explained. “The important thing was bouncing back strongly on Sunday and securing another victory.”

Eric Kwong was equally pleased after finally opening his Am-class account for 2026, crediting his recent development work with coach Chris van der Drift.

Adrian D’Silva also welcomed his return to the top step after a challenging weekend, describing the Masters battles as some of the most enjoyable racing he has experienced this season.

Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Manager Alexandre Imperatori praised the return to Fuji Speedway, highlighting the quality of racing across every category.

“It was fantastic to return to Fuji for the first time since 2019,” said Imperatori. “Marcus Amand has continued to demonstrate exceptional consistency, but the championship battles across all classes remain wide open heading into the second half of the season.”

With Fuji now complete, attention shifts to the legendary Bangsaen Street Circuit, where the championship resumes on 4-5 July before later visits to Sepang International Circuit and the spectacular Marina Bay Street Circuit.