Pia Ohlsson wins 24H of Dubai in TCX class

Pia Ohlsson confirmed to be one of the leading protagonists of Creventic’s touring car field by claiming a controlled class victory at the Michelin 24H of Dubai 2026, securing her second consecutive triumph in the season-opening endurance classic.

Photo credits: Creventic

Pia Ohlsson confirmed to be one of the leading protagonists of Creventic’s touring car field by claiming a controlled class victory at the Michelin 24H of Dubai 2026, securing her second consecutive triumph in the season-opening endurance classic. The young German driver played a central role in a dominant performance from the #102 asBest Racing Cupra TCR, which controlled the TCE category for the majority of the race and also sealed the Middle East Trophy title.

The 21st running of the Dubai 24 Hours once again attracted a huge grid and a high-level international field, with the race serving as the first major endurance event of the 2026 season, just one week after the preparatory 6 Hours of Abu Dhabi. Ohlsson arrived in Dubai after narrowly missing out on a podium in Abu Dhabi, returning to the UAE determined to defend the class victory she achieved last year.

She shared the #102 asBest Racing Cupra TCR with Lutz Obermann, Junichi Umemoto, Silas Passos and Sebastian Schemmann, forming one of the most balanced line-ups in the touring car field.

Qualifying confirmed the strength of the asBest Racing squad, which fielded four cars at Dubai across the categories. Silas Passos opened the session and immediately placed the Cupra among the front-runners, setting a 2:15.907 lap to go third in TCX and second in TCX. Lutz Obermann followed in Q2, improving the team’s benchmark to a 2:14.855, again second in TCX.

Junichi Umemoto completed the qualifying effort in Q3 and delivered the fastest lap of the crew, stopping the clocks at 2:14.056. On combined times, the #102 Cupra secured third in TCX, positioning the team well for the long race.

Photo credits: Creventic

Umemoto took the start of the 24-hour race, launching from the front group in TCX. The opening lap was immediately hectic, with several incidents bringing out a first Code 60 before the end of lap one. Once the race settled, Umemoto held the #102 consistently inside the top three in class, focusing on staying clear of trouble in the early stages.

After the first hour, the race was again neutralised when a stranded Mercedes triggered a Code 60 during the pit window, shuffling strategies across the field as some cars were forced into additional fuel stops. Obermann took over the Cupra, maintaining third in TCX and keeping the car firmly in contention.

Another caution followed shortly afterwards for a stranded Porsche, prompting a further top-off stop before the race returned to green almost two hours in. Soon after, the dramatic engine failure and fire for the Ajith RedAnt Racing Mercedes AMG GT3 again neutralised the field.

Through the opening phase, the asBest Racing approach was clear: clean driving, controlled stints and a focus on long-term strategy rather than short-term position.

Following another Code 60 after a crash at Turn 1, Pia Ohlsson climbed into the Cupra for the first time, rejoining second in TCX. Once back under green, she immediately asserted herself at the front of the category. Within her opening stint, Ohlsson took the TCX lead, setting competitive and consistent lap times while stretching a margin over the sister asBest Racing entry.

By three and a half hours, Ohlsson was firmly in control of the class; at the four-hour mark, she continued to lead comfortably, executing a calm, mistake-free stint as the sun began to set over the Dubai Autodrome.

She handed the car back over to Passos from the class lead, and as darkness fell, the asBest Racing Cupra only grew stronger.

A Code 60 for debris at the six-hour mark triggered another wave of pit stops. Passos retained the TCX lead, before Umemoto returned to the cockpit with a growing advantage. Over the next sequence of green-flag running, the #102 steadily extended its margin to four laps, then three, over the chasing #103 asBest Racing Golf.

Photo credits: Creventic

Obermann cycled back in as the race moved into the night, and the gap continued to grow. Another Code 60 after a Red Camel-Jordan Porsche crash briefly neutralised the race, but once green-flag conditions returned, Passos resumed and pushed the advantage to five laps.

Approaching the halfway point, the #102 Cupra was firmly in control; with around 11 hours remaining, the lead had grown to nine laps in TCX, giving the team the breathing room to manage traffic, cautions and strategy without taking unnecessary risks.

Further neutralisations for debris and the stranded #31 Mercedes again shuffled pit sequences, but Umemoto and Obermann continued to rotate through the car with metronomic consistency, keeping the Cupra safely out of trouble.

With eight hours to go, Obermann remained at the wheel, controlling the pace. Another Code 60 was triggered when the #101 asBest Racing SEAT Leon stopped on track, but the #102 Cupra lost no ground and remained unchallenged.

As dawn broke over the circuit, painting the sky in orange and gold, Passos resumed in the leading Cupra. A new sequence of Code 60 periods followed, including heavy accidents involving the Rossa GT and the #777 Ferrari, but the asBest Racing crew continued to execute strategy flawlessly.

By this stage, the lead had extended to more than ten laps in TCX; the #102 Cupra ran with relentless consistency, unaffected by the chaos unfolding elsewhere in the field.

Schemmann took over during the next neutralizations, before Umemoto returned for the closing hours, maintaining the commanding advantage.

With just over three hours remaining, the race was restarted once again, and the asBest Racing Cupra cruised back into rhythm at the head of TCX. The final driver change saw Obermann take the wheel for the last stint.

A final Code 60 in the closing hour briefly delayed the run to the chequered flag, setting up a 30-minute sprint to the finish. Obermann kept the car clean, bringing the #102 Cupra TCR safely to the line to secure a dominant class victory.

For Pia Ohlsson, it marked a second consecutive triumph at the Dubai 24 Hours, confirming her as one of the reference drivers in the Creventic touring car field. The win also sealed the TCE Middle East Trophy title for the #102 asBest Racing crew, wrapping up a near-perfect opening chapter to their 2026 endurance campaign.