Porsche Junior Güven and ten Voorde deliver spectacular duels

Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras) won the third race of the season in the digital edition of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at the British Silverstone Circuit, with ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite) crossing the flag first at race four in his Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. In both races, the victories were preceded by action-packed fights. Thirty-one drivers contested the event on the iRacing online racing simulation. 

After turning the fastest lap in qualifying, Güven took up the first 25-minute race from pole position. In a turbulent early phase with several collisions, ten Voorde, however, kept his cool and snatched the lead. The pair broke away from the field and battled amongst themselves for the lead to the last lap. Shortly before the flag, Güven made the decisive move, both vehicles touched, sending the GP elite driver ten Voorde into a spin. Güven swept over the finish line ahead of the 23-year-old Dutchman. “My start wasn’t great, but afterwards I was really fast and was rewarded for it. In terms of the championship, it was great race day for me,” concluded Güven. 

Behind the two youngsters, a duel for third place treated viewers to plenty of action: Max van Splunteren (NL/Team GP Elite) underlined his skill in the fight against Porsche works driver Nick Tandy (ExxonMobil Oil Corporation). At his home race, the British factory pilot initially searched in vain for a gap, eventually found it in lap seven and took the flag in third place. “In my rear-view mirror, I saw Nick Tandy getting closer and closer. I tried everything to fend him off but he was just a little faster,” said van Splunteren. Finishing fourth overall, the 24-year-old won the rookie class. The ProAm classification went to Stephen Grove (AUS/Team Australia). 

Race two of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition on the 5,891-kilometre racetrack was characterised by a dramatic final phase. Frontrunner Güven defended himself against ten Voorde’s repeated attacks over the distance, however, in the final lap the 22-year-old Turkish driver had to lap a slower vehicle. Ten Voorde grabbed his chance, squeezed past and won the race. “That was an exciting race day with a lot of spectacular action. I really put the pressure on during the entire second race. In the end, it paid off. Still, I had a bit of luck on my side in the final lap,” said ten Voorde. 

Third place went to Dylan Pereira (BWT Lechner Racing). The Luxembourger snatched a podium spot after winning the duel against Leon Köhler (D/Lechner Racing Middle East). “Dylan Pereira was a bit faster than I was, otherwise I could have finished on the podium. I’d prepared intensively for Silverstone so I’m really pleased with such a good result,” declared Köhler. Fourth overall handed the 20-year-old Lechner driver the rookie class victory. Philipp Sager (A/Dinamic Motorsport) crossed the finish line first in the ProAm classification.

The double-header event for Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (NZ/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing) proved tumultuous. The youngster finished race one in fifth followed by sixth in the second event. “I started race one from position three which was a great grid spot, but then I made a few mistakes. In the second race, I spun early and lost several positions. But I managed to fight my way back and earn some important points,” stated the New Zealander. 

Güven and ten Voorde continue to share the lead

In the overall rankings, Güven and ten Voorde continue to share the lead with 90 points each. Races five and six of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition will be contested on 25 April, with the drivers battling for honours on the virtual Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The real Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup made its debut on the 7.004-kilometre racetrack in the Walloon region of Belgium in 1993. The tradition-steeped circuit is famous for its fast passages Eau Rouge and Blanchimont as well as the hairpin corner La Source.

Results

Silverstone, race 3 of 8
1. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras)
2. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite)
3. Nick Tandy (GB/ExxonMobil Oil Corporation)
4. Max van Splunteren (NL/Team GP Elite)
5. Jaxon Evans (NZ/Momo Megatron Lechner Racing)

Silverstone, race 4 of 8
1. Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite)
2. Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras)
3. Dylan Pereira (L/BWT Lechner Racing)
4. Leon Köhler (D/Lechner Racing Middle East)
5. Nick Tandy (GB/ExxonMobil Oil Corporation)

Preview

Round two of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition takes off this Saturday (18 April). The British Silverstone Circuit hosts races three and four of the series, which is the “digital twin” of the real Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup. Thirty-three first-class drivers will line up on the grid in their virtual Porsche 911 GT3 Cup racers. Porsche Junior Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras) and Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite) tackle the second race day leading the standings. With one win and 45 points each from the first double-header event on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Spain), the two rank first equal in the virtual championship run on the iRacing simulation platform. Teams and drivers registered for the real season of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup are eligible to compete, with VIP vehicles manned by well-known Porsche factory drivers and selected professional racers complementing the grid.

“In the absence of real motor racing under the current situation, we wanted to offer our teams a virtual, competitive, top-class alternative. The idea has already proved successful at the first event a fortnight ago. We witnessed some thrilling duels, just like in the real Supercup. The Silverstone Circuit has hosted the Supercup as support to Formula 1 every year since 1994. For this reason, we’re delighted to celebrate our virtual debut at Silverstone this year,” says the Project Manager of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup, Oliver Schwab.

“In the absence of real motor racing under the current situation, we wanted to offer our teams a virtual, competitive, top-class alternative.” Oliver Schwab

The storied racetrack in the British Midlands opened in 1947. Three years later, Silverstone was the venue for the first Formula 1 race in modern Grand Prix history. The former military airbase is famous for its legendary corners such as Maggots, Becketts and Chapel. The circuit located between London and Birmingham features 18 corners over 5.891 kilometres.

For the drivers, the name of the game is to earn points towards the championship from the digital double-header event on Saturday. “Before contesting my first Supercup season last year, I gained experience at Silverstone contesting the GP3 series and the FIA Formula 3 Championship. However, the handling of a single-seater racer with its high downforce is completely different to that of a Cup car, especially on this circuit with its sweeping corners. Getting the virtual Porsche 911 GT3 Cup through corners like Maggotts and Becketts at maximum speed is a real challenge,” says Joey Mawson (Fach Auto Tech). The 24-year-old Australian currently ranks fifth overall in the championship.

Porsche Junior Jaxon Evans (Momo Megatron Lechner Racing) can hardly wait for the two 25-minute races: “I’ve been turning Silverstone laps on the simulator every day for the last two weeks. The illustrious history of this circuit alone makes it very special, and the combination of the tight and flowing corners is great fun. Last year, I finished fifth in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race at Silverstone. Perhaps this experience will help me on the screen, although, sim racing is a little different, of course, due to the absence of physical stress.” In the championship rankings, the New Zealander sits seventh after the opening event on the Spanish Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Lining up alongside the regular drivers from the actual Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup are Porsche works drivers and invited professional racers. They will drive the nine vehicles entered by partners and sponsors. “I scored my first win in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup at my home race at Silverstone in 2010. I’m pretty familiar with the track as a sim racer and as a real racing driver. I’ve spent the last weeks preparing intensively on the simulator. With other pilots, I represent the Porsche works drivers. I’m aiming for the podium,” says Nick Tandy (ExxonMobil Oil Corporation) from Great Britain.

Info

The Supercup races at Silverstone will be streamed live and on the official Porsche YouTube channel with the former Supercup driver Jan Seyffarth providing the commentary. TV channel Sport1 televises both races live on www.sport1.de. The German television channel will also broadcast highlights on Sunday. Eurosport streams on www.eurosport.com as well as on selected national websites, for instance in Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. The Dutch TV station Ziggo Sport also shows both races. Fans can find up-to-date information about the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition on the Porsche Motorsport Hub, the Porsche Newsroom and the Twitter account @PorscheRaces.

The schedule (18 April)

4.00 - 4.15pm: Qualifying
4.20 - 4.45pm: Race 1
4.50 - 5.10pm: Warm-up
5.12 - 5.37pm: Race 2
(All times CEST)