Sebastian Job secures overall lead after gripping races

Race

The previous leader of the standings, Joshua Rogers (VRS Coanda Simsport), has slipped down the rankings to fourth place.

In the 15-minute sprint race, polesitter Jeremy Bouteloup (VRS Coanda Simsport) won the dash to the first corner in the digital version of the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup ahead of Patrik Holzmann (Red Bull Racing Esport) and Alejandro Sánchez (MSI eSports). The German driver for the Redline squad, Maximilian Benecke, slotted into fourth place. Several positions behind the leading pack, a duel between Sebastian Job and Joshua Rogers promised to be gripping: Before the Silverstone weekend, Rogers held a six-point lead over Job. During the race, Bouteloup easily managed to pull clear of his pursuers. Behind him, the action heated up: towards the end of lap three, both Sánchez and Benecke whipped past second-placed Holzmann in the same corner. While the leading trio pulled away from the field, a battle for fourth place unfolded between Graham Carroll (Red Bull Racing Esport), Job and Rogers. In the final lap, Job threw caution to the wind and went head-to-head with Carroll through many corners to ultimately take the flag in fifth. At the front, Bouteloup celebrated his first win of the season ahead of Sánchez and Benecke.

The 30-minute main race quickly turned disastrous for the series leader Rogers. Early in the race, the Australian veered from the ideal line in a left-hand curve and lost control of his virtual Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. When he rejoined the race, his car was hit hard, sending him spinning from the racetrack. Carroll also became entangled in the incident and was shunted into a spin. Both were relegated far down the field. Sánchez, in the meantime, had taken the lead from Bouteloup, who dropped from first to fourth place. With Benecke and Job, the Spaniard pulled clear of the field. Shortly before the flag, the leading trio were separated by just 0.2 seconds. Sánchez managed to defend his lead spot and celebrated his first win of the season ahead of Benecke and Job, who now ranks first in the championship.

In addition to second place, Maximilian Benecke celebrated a special record: as the first driver ever to break the 11,000 iRatings barrier. This individual rating is an indication of the overall skill and success of each driver.

After the fourth race weekend of the season, Sebastian Job leads the overall classification with 219 points, followed by Maximilian Benecke (201 points) and Alejandro Sánchez (198 points). On 1 August, the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup will be contested on the digital version of the American racetrack of Road Atlanta. With its combination of long straights, ultra-fast curves and significant elevation changes, the rollercoaster circuit presents special challenges.

Comments on the race

Alejandro Sánchez (MSI eSports): “It feels incredible to finally win in this fiercely contested championship against such strong competition. We found a good setup for our car, it was very competitive. My focus was on conserving the tyres, making zero errors and being fast where it counted. But things got very tight at the end. My goal for this season was to win and stay in the top five of the series.”
 
Maximilian Benecke (Redline): “It feels great to be the first iRacing driver to break the 11,000 iRatings mark! The race went well. I fought extremely hard to defend my second place, so I’m delighted with the result. Silverstone is a tricky circuit. To overtake, you have to wait for the driver in front of you to botch it up. I waited for 25 minutes, but Alejandro didn’t make a mistake. That’s why he deserves to win. I’m happy with my second overall in the championship.”
 
Sebastian Job (Red Bull Racing Esports): “I’m satisfied with third place in the race, which has elevated me to the top of the leaderboard. We tackled this race a little differently because we’d learned a lot about tyre wear at the previous races. I was hoping that the guys in front would make a mistake, but it didn’t happen. So I never got into the right position to take on Maximilian. Still, it was great fun.”

Result (preliminary)

Silverstone, Sprint race
1. Jeremy Bouteloup (F/VRS Coanda Simsport)
2. Alejandro Sánchez (E/MSI eSports)
3. Maximilian Benecke (D/Redline)
4. Patrik Holzmann (D/Red Bull Racing Esport)
5. Sebastian Job (GB/Red Bull Racing Esport)

Silverstone, main race
1. Alejandro Sánchez (E/MSI eSports)
2. Maximilian Benecke (D/Redline)
3. Sebastian Job (GB/Red Bull Racing Esport)
4. Jeremy Bouteloup (F/DirectForce Pro)
5. Patrik Holzmann (D/Red Bull Racing Esport)

Points standings after 4 of 10 events
1. Sebastian Job (GB/Red Bull Racing Esport), 219 points
2. Maximilian Benecke (D/Redline), 201 points
3. Alejandro Sánchez (E/MSI eSports), 198 points
 

Preview

Tradition meets modernity: This Saturday, 40 sim racers contest the virtual Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup series on one of the world’s most venerable racetracks. The Silverstone Circuit has hosted thrilling motorsport events for more than 70 years. At round four of the global esports championship, drivers tackle the race at the “Home of British Motor Racing” via the iRacing simulation platform in virtual versions of the latest Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.

On home turf, Sebastian Job from the Red Bull Racing Esports squad could move into the lead. With 155 points to his credit, he currently sits just six points behind Joshua Rogers (AUS), who drives a virtual Porsche 911 GT3 Cup for VRS Coanda Simsport. Rogers’ Norwegian teammate Tommy Østgaard (135 points) and Germany’s Maximilian Benecke (Porsche24 Driven by Redline,132 points) also lie within striking distance of the leader. The same applies to Alejandro Sánchez: The swift Spaniard from the MSI eSports team currently ranks fifth overall with 126 points.

The round, which was scheduled to take place a fortnight ago on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, was postponed to a later date due to technical glitches. “In conjunction with iRacing and the drivers, we’ve found a solution to the challenges we experienced at the two previous race weekends at Le Mans and the Nürburgring. These races will be rescheduled for 26 September and 5 September,” explains Marco Ujhasi, Manager Esports Porsche Motorsport. “We’re looking forward to the upcoming races. As anticipated, the situation at the top of the leaderboard is extremely close in this fiercely competitive championship. There is no let-up in the suspense.”

Info

On the Silverstone Circuit, sim racers will contest a 15-minute sprint race, followed by a 30-minute main race. Fans can watch the event live on the Porsche YouTube channel and Twitch. Both races are also streamed on both video platforms via iRacing. Further information on the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup can be found on the Porsche Motorsports Hub, Porsche Newsroom and the Twitter account @PorscheRaces.

The programme (18 July)

3:45 to 4:03pm: Free practice

4:03 to 4:15pm: Qualifying

4:17 to 4:32pm: Sprint race

4:34 to 4:44pm: Warm-up

4:45 to 5:15pm: Main race

(All times CEST)

Schedule of the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup 2020

Info

Further information can be found on the Porsche Motorsports Hub.