Porsche Carrera Cup Japan 2026 – Round 8 (Suzuka)

The starting grid for Round 8 of the Porsche Carrera Cup Japan (PCCJ) was determined by the drivers’ best qualifying times recorded during the official qualifying session held on Saturday morning, September 12. Overall pole position went to #66 Robert de Haan, the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany champion, marking his sixth pole of the season. Starting alongside him on the front row was #99 Taichi Watarai, the 2025-2026 Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East champion, while 2025 PCCJ champion #78 Iori Kimura lined up third. In the Pro-Am class, #16 Hiro took class pole, while #17 IKEDA secured pole position in the Am class.

Although clouds covered much of the sky during the morning qualifying session, the weather cleared up in the afternoon. The formation lap for the Round 8 final began at 4:35 p.m., with the drivers completing a slow lap to assess the track conditions. Once the cars returned to the grid, the race got underway. Pole-sitter #66 de Haan and #99 Watarai, starting second, battled for the lead as they headed toward Turn 1. However, diving into Turn 1 from the outside of the two-car battle and taking the lead was #78 Kimura, who had started third. Having said before the race that the start would be crucial, #78 Kimura put his words into action and moved into first place, followed by #99 Watarai in second, #66 de Haan in third, and #60 Reimei Ito in fourth.

At the end of the opening lap, the gap between race leader #78 Kimura and #99 Watarai was just 0.375 seconds, while #66 de Haan was 0.760 seconds behind the leader. On Lap 2, #66 de Haan closed right up to #99 Watarai and successfully overtook him at the chicane. Eager to make a move on #78 Kimura as well, de Haan steadily reduced the gap from 1.088 seconds on Lap 2 to 0.471 seconds on Lap 3 and 0.320 seconds on Lap 4.

On Lap 5, #66 de Haan closed right up behind #78 Kimura, and the battle between the two continued, including a moment when they made light contact on the exit of Spoon Curve. The decisive moment came at 130R on Lap 8. Reflecting on the incident, #78 Kimura said, “Making a mistake at Spoon Curve was the whole story. That allowed de Haan to draw alongside me on the West Straight, and he passed me at 130R.”

Kimura ran off the circuit at this point, but managed to rejoin and then held off #99 Watarai to retain second place. Meanwhile, #60 Ito, who had been looking to move up from fourth, closed in on Watarai, only to be involved in an incident at the final corner.

The Safety Car was subsequently deployed, with the field circulating in formation behind it. The race remained under Safety Car conditions until the chequered flag, allowing #66 de Haan to claim his sixth victory of the season.

“I got a little slow start, but I think that actually made the race more interesting. I enjoyed the battles with Watarai and Kimura, and in the end I was able to win. However, tomorrow I want to make a good start and attack from the beginning,” said race winner #66 de Haan, reflecting on the race.

Runner-up #78 Kimura commented, “I managed to take the lead at the start, but in the end I was passed because of my own mistake. It was a frustrating race, but also one that I learned a lot from.”

In the Pro-Am class, #16 Hiro made a strong start and quickly built a substantial gap over the drivers behind him to claim his second class victory of the season. He also put in an impressive performance to finish third overall and stand on the overall podium.

“There was certainly an element of luck to finishing third overall, but winning the class is a big step toward my goal of becoming champion. I want to do my best again tomorrow,” said #16 Hiro.

In the Am class, #17 IKEDA, who started sixth overall, held off the Pro-Am drivers during the race to finish fifth overall and take victory in the Am class.

“Battling with the Pro-Am drivers was tiring, but it was also fun. If the Safety Car hadn’t been deployed during the race, I think I would have been passed,” IKEDA said, calmly reflecting on his race.

The grid for Round 9, which will be held tomorrow, Sunday, September 13, was determined by the drivers’ second-best qualifying times recorded during qualifying on September 12. #66 de Haan secured overall pole position, while #16 Hiro and #17 IKEDA took class pole positions in Pro-Am and Am, respectively, resulting in the same pole-sitting lineup as Round 8.

The Round 9 final is scheduled to start at 10:50 a.m. on Sunday, September 13, with the race consisting of 12 laps or 30 minutes plus one additional lap. The race will be streamed live on the official Porsche Japan YouTube channel.

Round 9 Live Stream Scheduled broadcast: September 13, from 10:45 a.m.

Porsche Japan Official YouTube — Round 9 Live Stream

Weather: Cloudy Track Conditions: Dry Air Temperature: 29°C Track Temperature: 37°C (at race start)