Last year, the digital series made its debut with online races run parallel to selected real-life Carrera Cup events. In the virtual championship, racing drivers go up against seasoned sim racers. The first of four online qualifications took place last weekend. All in all, 20 grid spots will be allocated for the final event on 5 September. All events are contested with identical Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars using the online simulation platform RaceRoom.
“With the establishment of the Porsche Esports Carrera Cup Deutschland last year we were able to write a new chapter in the 30-year history of the Carrera Cup. Esports is gaining traction not only because of the race-free time during the COVID-19 crisis. Our aim is to connect sim racing with actual motorsport. Many young drivers regularly spend time on racing simulators to better prepare themselves for real-life motor racing events. With us, they can now measure themselves online against top sim racers,” says Hurui Issak, Project Manager of the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland.
Four qualification phases will be held as part of the Porsche Esports Carrera Cup Deutschland, in which sim racers and racing drivers fight for grid spots at individual time trials. The top eight online gamers from each qualifying session can claim their ticket to the semi-final based on their best lap time. The first session of the season was held last weekend at the virtual Autodrom Most (Czech Republic). The remaining three qualification heats will take place on the virtual versions of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife (12 to 14 June), the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben (10 to 12 July) and the Sachsenring (14 to 16 August). The top 14 sim racers from the double-header semi-final event held on 23 August will go on to contest the final.
Drivers registered for the Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland will compete in simulators at the same time on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben and the Sachsenring. The fourth qualifying session for these drivers will be held from 21 to 23 August on the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. Six Carrera Cup drivers are eligible to qualify for the final event.
The final round of the Porsche Esports Carrera Cup Deutschland is held on 5 September. The venue will be announced 24 hours before the event. Included on the programme are a free practice (45 minutes), a qualifying session (15 minutes), two warm-ups (5 minutes each) and two 30-minute races. Drivers fight for prize money to the value of 9,000 Euros.
In addition to the Porsche Esports Carrera Cup Deutschland, the 30-year-old one-make cup is planning another digital event: the Porsche Esports Carrera Cup Deutschland Race at Home. Only real racing drivers are permitted to contest this special online event held on the RaceRoom simulation platform on 6 June. The programme includes a free practice (35 minutes), a qualifying session (15 minutes), two warm-ups (5 minutes each) and two 30-minute races.
Schedule Porsche Esports Carrera Cup Deutschland
Qualification for sim racers
22.05-24.05.2020, 1st qualifying period (Autodrom Most/Czech Republic)
12.06-14.06.2020, 2nd qualifying period (Nürburgring-Nordschleife/Germany)
10.07-12.07.2020, 3rd qualifying period (Oschersleben/Germany)
14.08-16.08.2020, 4th qualifying period (Sachsenring/Germany)
23.08.2020, semi-final (venue to be announced 24 hours prior to the event)
Qualification for Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland drivers
12.06-14.06.2020, 1st qualifying period (Autodrom Most/Czech Republic)
10.07-12.07.2020, 2nd qualifying period (Nürburgring-Nordschleife/Germany)
14.08-16.08.2020, 3rd qualifying period (Oschersleben/Germany)
21.08-23.08.2020, 4th qualifying period (Spa-Francorchamps/Belgium)
Final round
05.09.2020, venue to be announced 24 hours prior to the event
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