Boccolacci Eyes Works Porsche Future After Strong Asia Start

Dorian Boccolacci has set his sights on earning works Porsche status amid an impressive start to his season as Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific’s new selected driver.

Boccolacci was chosen by PMAP to succeed past selected drivers Alessio Picariello and Yifei Ye at the end of last year, and has embarked on a full season in GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS with Phantom Global Racing.

Together with teammate Anthony Liu, Boccolacci lies equal-second in the standings at the halfway point of the season with three podiums so far in six races.

Amid a busy schedule, the 26-year-old Frenchman has also raced in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) for Falken Motorsport and made one appearance in GTWC Australia for EMA Motorsport at Phillip Island, where he scored pole.

After this weekend’s Nürburgring 24, he will also make his debut in SUPER GT as he joins Earl Bamber Motorsport for its wildcard outing at Sepang.

“It’s my first year as the Selected Driver, so my goal is to get a contract in Germany [with Porsche Motorsport] and not only Asia,” Boccolacci told Sportscar365.

“I am already sending them reports after each race, so we’re already working much more closely than we did last year.

“Also for me it’s good to have the support of Sascha Maassen, who is also working with the drivers in Porsche Supercup. This helps me to grow us a driver, not only in the car, but also out of the car, as it is important to be professional out of the car.

“I am still in the learning process now.”

Boccolacci switched his focus to sports cars in 2020 after a single-seater career that saw him climb the ladder to Formula 1 as far as F2 level, initially competing mostly in Porsche Carrera Cup France and Porsche Supercup before moving to GT3s later.

The two-time GP3 race winner said a test with Absolute Racing in a 911 GT3 R at Sepang in late 2023, which led to a chance to compete in the Sepang 12 Hours the following year, was the key to being picked up by PMAP at the end of 2024.

“I only got about 13 laps in the first test at Sepang because of the rain, but I was very fast for my first time, also without knowing the track,” recalled Boccolacci.

“This was good for me, because then I was able to race for Absolute in the Sepang 12 Hours at the start of the following season, and this also went well because we finished second and I was improving throughout the race. The team was happy and [PMAP managing director] Alexandre Gibot was happy.

“Then at some point that season, Alexandre called me because Phantom Global needed a new driver for the final two rounds. For me it was a good opportunity, because I was only doing the European [GTWC] championship and I wanted more driving time.

“I did these two races at Okayama and Shanghai and I helped the team get its first podium at Okayama. I was matching the other drivers in my first time there, and I think this was key to become the new selected driver for this season.”

Boccolacci and Liu trail GTWC Asia points leader Prince Jefri Ibrahim by six points at the halfway point of the season, having only failed to score once — in the opening round at Buriram, where Liu was tagged by another driver at Turn 1.

As well as this year’s title, Boccolacci says he is also targeting a first win in the series across the remaining three rounds at Fuji, Okayama and Beijing.

“I knew that Anthony is a strong amateur driver,” said Boccolacci. “It was important for me to have a good teammate this year, and he is one of the top ones in his category. The team is also doing a really good job, which I knew already from last season.

“Mandalika was a really good weekend, because to score two podiums in one weekend, when you have the success penalties, is really hard.

“In Buriram we struggled a bit more because I didn’t know the track, unlike most of the other drivers, and the Porsche was not the best car with all the straight lines on this track, although we still managed a top-five.

“What is important is to score points in every weekend and maximize our performance. But for sure I want my first victory this season as we have been close a few times, and of course, the title. We’ll push until the end to achieve this.”