The penultimate weekend of Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB took place on Sunday 17 April at a virtual Donington Park circuit. Kevin Ellis Jr arrived at a pixel perfect Grand Prix loop with a 16-point advantage over championship rivals Graham Carroll and Sebastian Job with just four races remaining. Replicating the established format, drivers took part in a one-hour practice session, a 17-minute open qualifying session and two 25-minute races broadcast live via the Porsche Twitch channel.

Tiny margins separated the professional sim racers around Donington Park's 2.5-mile Grand Prix circuit. In qualifying Carroll took his second pole position of the season, a result which he turned into a lights-to-flag victory in round 13. However, the story of the weekend's first race was a gripping battle between Ellis Jr and Job who exchanged blows over the full course of the race, Ellis Jr emerging just ahead following an impressive overtake on his rival.

In the weekend's second race Job made his move early to snatch the lead, pulling away from the chasing Ellis Jr to secure his fourth win of the season. Following separate incidents, Carroll and Peter Berryman were forced into recovery drives which saw both engage in several exchanges with other drivers – Berryman charged through from last to finish eighth. Ellis Jr maintains his 16-point championship lead into the season finalé at Brands Hatch in May.

Qualifying
The weekend got underway with a one-hour practice session as drivers got to grips with Donington’s 12 challenging corners. Berryman had the edge on Ellis Jr and Job throughout the session, toppping the timesheet with a 1:27.131. In qualifying Carroll was the early pacesetter, his time of 1:27.121 making him quickest from Job and Ellis Jr.

In the second half of the session there were no major improvements, leaving Carroll to secure his second pole position of the season. Job would like up alongside on the front row with Ellis Jr then Berryman forming the second row of the grid for the weekend's first race. However, Berryman would not take the start of the first race leaving a gap on the staring grid in his place.

Race one
At the start Josh Thompson was slow away while Job immediately moved across towards Ellis Jr who had the inside line in the run towards the first corner. Carroll maintained his lead through Redgate while Job tucked in behind with Ellis Jr third. On the second lap, Ellis Jr closed on Job as the pair began what would develop into an enthralling race-long battle. As the scrap at the front of the race intensified, Thomas Cope attacked Daniel J Thomas for tenth position. In the melee Lewis Ward became involved, snatching eleventh place from Thomas at the Melbourne hairpin, Cope staying ahead of both.

With 15 minutes of racing remaining the top three bunched together in an exciting fight for position. Job got a good run through the Fogarty Esses to attack Carroll for the race lead, he got directly alongside at the hairpin but his move did not stick. This left Job under imminent threat from Ellis Jr behind, though the status quo ultimately remained. A couple of laps later Ellis Jr passed Job into Redgate, the pair running side-by-side through the first corner, down the Craner Curves, and all the way around to Coppice – a distance of over half a lap. As they approached the Esses – still side by side – Ellis Jr finally completed the move. The fight between them allowed race leader Carroll to build a cushion of over three seconds up front.

Watching Job and Ellis Jr from behind was Jamie Moone in fourth. Moone looked at one point as if he would attack Job, though the move never came and in the resulting concertina between the pair he was overtaken by Thompson just behind, relegating Moone to fifth. A couple of laps later Moone attempted to come back at Thompson, but there was contact which put Thompson into a spin at Goddards dropping him down the order and leaving Moone back in fourth spot.

With eight minutes remaining on the clock the fierce battle between Job and Ellis Jr reignited. Job almost got alongside his rival at the hairpin but he couldn't quite get there. Job slid his car at Old Hairpin as he chased Ellis Jr which finally gave the championship leader some breathing space. However, underlining his excellent race pace, Job was soon latched onto the rear wing of Ellis Jr for the final few minutes of the race, pushing as hard as possible to create an opportunity to pass.

Carroll completed his lights to flag victory with an impressive 3.5-second margin back to the chasing pack, the result marking his third win of 2022. Ellis Jr kept Job at bay to the finish line while William Chadwick secured the all-important sixth position giving him reverse grid pole position for the weekend's second race.

Following the race, for the incident between Thompson and Moone on lap 11, ten seconds was added to the race one time of Moone. For an incident between Cope and Ward on lap 15, ten seconds was added to the race one time of Cope.

Race two
The grid for the second race was determined by reversing the top six finishing positions from race one. Chadwick and Matt Emery lined up on the front row with Moone and Job forming the second row, Ellis Jr and Carroll row three. Chadwick was slow away when the lights went out and Carroll struggled too, losing four places on the opening lap. Job immediately challenged for third, grabbing the position through the Craners while Emery went off at Old Hairpin which left Job leading. Ellis Jr overtook Moone before the Esses for second with Thompson slotting into third before the end of lap one.

A recovering Carroll was soon running sixth while Berryman (who had started the race last) began carving his way through the field – he was already up to thirteenth place over the early laps. Further drama soon befell Carroll as he spun at Goddards, dropping him down to ninth. Carroll then became embroiled in a fight with Cope which ended in contact. Cope went off as a result and Berryman got through – the latter now running ninth with Carroll behind in tenth.

With sixteen minutes of racing remaining a huge scrap for position developed between Carroll, Daniel McAuley, Berryman and Leon Penn, the four cars running side-by-side on more than one occasion – at times three-wide – as they diced for position. Their race finally settled down two laps later with Penn in seventh, Carroll eighth and the rest giving chase. With 12 minutes left to run, Moone passed Thompson for the final podium position, getting ahead at the Esses with Chadwick just behind also ready to strike.

With eleven minutes to go Carroll snatched seventh from Penn, a few laps later Berryman followed him through continuing his own recovery drive by taking eighth. In the final stages of the race Carroll went after Mann for sixth and on the final lap a mistake from Mann at Coppice allowed Carroll to take the position. Job took the flag to secure his fourth win of the season, joined on the virtual podium by championship rival Ellis Jr and an impressive Moone.

Following the race, for the incident between Penn and Cope on the opening lap, five seconds was added to the race two time of Cope. For an incident between Carroll and Cope on lap five, 10 seconds was added to the race two time of Carroll. Finally, for an incident between Penn and Berryman on lap five, five seconds was added to the race two time of Berryman. Cope has now accumulated a total of 35 seconds of time penalties and as a result he will not be permitted to participate in the qualifying session for the final weekend of the season.

The final weekend of the Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB season takes place on 8 May when the championship returns to Brands Hatch for rounds 15 and 16 – this time on the challenging Grand Prix circuit. Ellis Jr takes a 16 point advantage to a virtual Kent with Job (now second) and Carroll (third) still close behind and in the championship hunt. Keep up to date with Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB news via the Porsche Motorsport GB Twitter feed: twitter.com/PorscheRacesGB

Championship positions:

1st - Kevin Ellis Jr - 276
2nd - Sebastian Job - 260
3rd - Graham Carroll - 251