Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB travelled to a virtual version of Oulton Park for rounds seven and eight of the 2023 championship on Sunday 26 February. The first half of the 2023 season came to an exciting close as 22 professional sim racers in two categories – Pro and Am – fought for glory on the tight and twisty 2.7-mile International circuit.

Sebastian Job continued his unbeaten run in qualifying, securing his fourth pole position of the season. The championship leader went on to enjoy a lights-to-flag victory in round seven, while his main rival, William Chadwick, finished second with Matt Emery in third. In Am, Gareth Higgins emerged as the category winner following an error by Luke Pennington.

The weekend's second race was disastrous for Job; he tumbled down the order early on and would ultimately score no championship points. Meanwhile, Jack Sedgwick stayed ahead of the competition to record his second win of 2023, Higgins once again the best Am. The Oulton Park result reduces the gap between Job and Chadwick at the top of the Pro category championship table to just 14 points with eight races remaining.

Qualifying
Sedgwick was the early pacesetter in the weekend's 20-minute qualifying session, his time of 1:34.740 better than chasing category rivals Thomas Cope and Porsche Carrera Cup GB racer Charles Rainford could muster. Meanwhile, Higgins followed up his good form from practice to sit ahead of fellow Am contenders Jamie Rushworth and Scott Moakes. With seven minutes of the session remaining the lap times began to fall.

Keen to make an impression at his home circuit, Chadwick improved to snatch provisional pole position with just two minutes left on the clock. However, he was immediately usurped by Job, his time of 1:33.679 securing his fourth consecutive pole position of the season. A late charge from Pennington saw him become the fastest Am, his lap time good enough for fourth overall on the starting grid.

Race one
Job got away cleanly at the start of the weekend's first race to lead into Old Hall Corner. Chadwick stayed second with Emery third, while Sedgwick and Pennington began fighting for position just behind. Three cars were involved in an early incident at the back of the pack and further into the opening lap there was more drama when Josh Malin left the circuit at Island Bend. Sedgwick and Pennington continued their opening lap scrap all the way to the Hislops chicane, the latter staying ahead. With Pennington leading Am, Higgins was second and Rushworth third in category.

Chadwick kept leader Job honest over the first few laps, while slightly further back the scrap for fourth place intensified; Pennington led a gaggle of Pro category cars all itching to overtake him. The Am leader was soon forced to drive in a defensive manor but, despite his protests, Moone and Kane Halliburton both found a route through. Sedgwick was the next car in the queue and his chance to pass Pennington came on the very next lap. Now freed, Sedgwick set after Halliburton for fifth spot overall.

With just four minutes remaining on the clock, Pennington made an error at Hislops causing him to run long into the corner. He continued his race but lost four places, including the Am category lead which went to Higgins. In the final few minutes of the race, Job began to increase his lead, pulling more than one second clear of the chasing Chadwick and serving to underline his pace.

Job's win was his sixth of the season, joined on the overall podium by Chadwick and Emery. Higgins took Am glory with Pennington forced to settle for second, Rushworth was third. Sedgwick crossed the line in sixth, affording him the crucial reverse grid pole position for the afternoon's second race.

Following the race, for an incident between Leon Penn and Oli Peacock on the opening lap, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Peacock.

Race two
The grid for the second race was determined by reversing the top six finishing positions from race one. Sedgwick lined up on pole position with Halliburton alongside. Moone and Emery formed row two with Chadwick and Job creating row three. At the start of the race, Chadwick ran wide at Old Hall Corner as he jostled with Job for fifth, but the order remained the same. However, Job soon found himself fighting Rainford and as they ran side-by-side through Island Bend it was Job who ran onto the grass and collided with the barrier. The championship leader would rejoin in last place.

Job was not the only driver in trouble early on, Malin was involved in an incident with Leo Gariboli while Pennington soon dropped down the order too. The positions at the front of the race remained unchanged though, Sedgwick leading from Halliburton and Moone. The top three in the Am category were Higgins from Rushworth and Adam State. With 20 minutes of the race remaining, a recovering Job was involved in contact with Moakes at Shell Oils Corner. Meanwhile, Eric Grove left the circuit at the same corner leading to his retirement.

Moone soon got a good run out of Lodge Corner to overtake Halliburton for second at Old Hall Corner. Just behind, Chadwick began to pressure Emery for fourth while Rainford kept a watching brief from fifth. Chadwick closed on Emery in the run through Cascades, moving to the inside through Island and going ahead by Shell Oils Corner. Unable to follow Chadwick through, Rainford came under increasing pressure from Cope and Oli Peacock forcing him to watch his mirrors.

As the gap between leader Sedgwick and Moone closed to just two tenths of a second, Chadwick attacked Halliburton for third, gaining a run through the first few corners and leaping ahead before the approach to the hairpin. With five minutes of racing remaining, Emery put Halliburton under pressure but, despite the latter running wide, the order remained the same to the flag. Following a scrap with Leon Penn, State ran off the track at Hislop's which allowed a recovering Pennington to retake third in Am on the penultimate lap.

Sedgwick took the chequered flag for his second victory of the season, Moone second with Chadwick third. Higgins secured another Am win, joined on the category podium by Rushworth and Pennington. Job crossed the line in fifteenth, scoring no championship points.

Following the race, for an incident between Craig A Williams and Josh Malin at Old Hall Corner on the opening lap, 15 seconds was added to the race time of Williams. For the incident between Sebastian Job and Charles Rainford at Island Bend, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Rainford. Finally, for an incident between Eric Grove and Scott Moakes on lap three, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Moakes.

The second half of the season gets underway on 12 March at Spa Francorchamps, the iconic Belgian circuit last visited by Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2015. At the season midpoint, Job's advantage over Chadwick in the Pro category has been reduced to 14 points. Meanwhile, Higgins assumes the lead of the Am category championship for the first time. Keep up to date with Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB news via the Porsche Motorsport GB Twitter feed: twitter.com/PorscheRacesGB

Championship positions:

Pro
1st - Sebastian Job - 76
2nd - William Chadwick - 62
3rd - Matt Emery - 40

Am
1st - Gareth Higgins - 63
2nd - Leo Gariboli - 55
3rd - Luke Pennington - 40