Job wins home races, Rogers moves to the top of the rankings

The race

The two action-packed races on the iRacing online simulation platform saw several changes in the series points table. Last year’s champion Joshua Rogers (VRS Coanda Simsport) from Australia finished the main race on second place at the wheel of his virtual Porsche 911 GT3 Cup and is now the new series leader.

The start of the 15-minute sprint race proved decisive. Taking up the race from the second grid spot, Job (Red Bull Racing Esports) squeezed past the leading Alejandro Sánchez (E/MSI eSports) in the second corner. The 20-year-old held his own at the top of the pack to take the flag first ahead of Sánchez. Behind the pair, viewers were treated to some gripping action: Ricardo Castro Ledo (P/VRS Coanda Simsport) and Barcelona-winner Maximilian Benecke (D/Team Redline) battled for third place. In lap eleven, Benecke finally made the decisive move and overtook the Portuguese. Rogers claimed fifth at the flag on the virtual racetrack southwest of Nottingham. 

In the main race of the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup, Job celebrated a lights-to-flag victory. The sim racer from the Red Bull Racing Esports squad immediately pulled clear of his rivals after the start and thus avoided the fracas amongst his pursuers. “After experiencing a bit of bad luck in Barcelona, this double victory feels very great. My lap times were very consistent in both races, and that proved to be the key to success”, said Job after the race day.

After a turbulent first lap, Sánchez, Rogers, Ledo and Tommy Østgaard (N/VRS Coanda Simsport) formed a quartet behind Job. The Spaniard Sánchez led the pursuing pack to the ninth lap only to have Rogers overtake the MSI-eSports driver on the inside. The 20-year-old defended his second place to the flag and was satisfied with his performance: “Today, it was very important for me to earn points. I’m really happy with how the main race played out. After overtaking Alejandro Sánchez and moving into second, I would’ve loved to have gone for the lead. But Sebastian Job was strong and drove fast, steady laps at the front.”

Finishing the main race on third, Sánchez claimed his second podium result of the day on the storied British racetrack. “I held on to second place for a long time with Joshua Rogers trailing me. He was around two-tenths of a second faster per lap, so it was only a matter of time before he overtook home. I fended him off for a few laps but then I had to let him pass. I’m in the top ten in the overall rankings and I’d like to stay there,” stated Sánchez. Østgaard finished on fourth place ahead of Ledo.

In the overall standings, Joshua Rogers (161 points) is the new series leader. While the esports racer from the Coanda Simsport is still waiting for his first win of the season, he has finished four of the six races in the top five. Sebastian Job ranks second overall with 155 points. Østgaard lies in third place, 20 points behind the Briton.

Results

Donington Park, sprint race
1. Sebastian Job (GB/Red Bull Racing Esports)
2. Alejandro Sánchez (E/MSI eSports)
3. Maximilian Benecke (D/Team Redline)
4. Ricardo Castro Ledo (P/VRS Coanda Simsport)
5. Joshua Rogers (AUS/VRS Coanda Simsport)

Donington Park, main race
1. Sebastian Job (GB/Red Bull Racing Esports)
2. Joshua Rogers (AUS/VRS Coanda Simsport)
3. Alejandro Sánchez (E/MSI eSports)
4. Tommy Østgaard (N/VRS Coanda Simsport)
5. Ricardo Castro Ledo (P/VRS Coanda Simsport)

Rankings after 3 of 10 events
1. Joshua Rogers (AUS/VRS Coanda Simsport), 161 points
2. Sebastian Job (GB/Red Bull Racing Esports), 155 points
3. Tommy Østgaard (N/VRS Coanda Simsport), 135 points 
 

Preview

The Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup contests its third race day of the 2020 season on Saturday, 23 May. Heading to the double-header event on the virtual Donington Park Circuit, the situation at the top of the leaderboard is particularly tense. With 103 points, Dayne Warren (Logitech G Altus Esports) moved into the lead after the second race day. Brian Lockwood (USA/RaceKraft Esports) lies in second place just four points behind the Australian. Last year’s champion Joshua Rogers (AUS/VRS Coanda Simsport) ranks third in the global Esports championship with 90 points. Max Verstappen (NL/Team Redline) is also showing strong form. At the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (Spain), the Formula 1 driver finished the main race in second place.

Six of the 40-strong field of top sim racers will tackle the Esports event on the storied British racetrack with a certain home advantage: Jack Sedgwick (Simucube ineX Racing), David Williams (VRS Coanda Simsport), Jamie Fluke (Apex Racing Team), Kevin Ellis Jr. (Apex Racing Team) and the two drivers of the Red Bull Racing Esports squad, Graham Carroll and Sebastian Job, represent the colours of Great Britain.

Info

At the Donington Park Circuit, the sim racers will contest a 15-minute sprint race and a 30-minute main race. In addition to the two races, the schedule includes a free practice, a qualifying session and a warm-up. Fans can watch the event live on the Porsche channels Twitch and YouTube. The double-header event can also be viewed on these video platforms via iRacing. Further information on the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup can be found on the Porsche Motorsport Hub, Porsche Newsroom and the Twitter account @PorscheRaces.

Schedule of the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup 2020

Info

Further information can be found on the Porsche Motorsports Hub.