The second half of the Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB season got underway at Spa Francorchamps on Sunday 12 March. A virtual recreation of the famous 4.3-mile Belgian circuit, last visited by Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2015, saw 21 professional sim racers in two categories – Pro and Am – fighting for glory.

The challenging European circuit, which includes 21 corners, produced exciting racing throughout the field. Championship leader Sebastian Job delivered a perfect weekend, taking pole position and two race victories to underline his dominance. However, Leo Gariboli was a star of round 9; the Am driver secured his first overall podium result finishing ahead of overall championship contender William Chadwick.

In the weekend's second race, Job sliced his way through the pack, driving from sixth on the grid to take another impressive win, overtaking talented rivals including Chadwick and Matt Emery en route. Gariboli enjoyed another impressive performance to take his second Am win and another overall podium. Job now enjoys a 25-point advantage at the top of the championship table with six races remaining.

Qualifying
Job had been the pacesetting driver in the day's earlier practice session, recording a lap time of 2:18.580, but by the second half of the weekend's 20-minute qualifying session he had bettered that with a 2:18.340. Am title contender Gariboli looked equally comfortable – he was the top Am category driver in practice and the early part of qualifying.

In the closing stages of qualifying Job timed his final run to perfection, although his fifth pole position of the season rarely looked under threat, improving with a 2:18.103. Jamie Moone was just behind on the road – he moved into second with Emery grabbing third in the final minute of the session. Gariboli remained ahead in Am and would start the weekend's first race in an impressive fifth overall.

Following the session, for an incident between Adam State and Craig Williams, five seconds was added to the accumulated penalty time of Williams. For an incident between Thomas Cope and Jakub Urbanczyk, 10 seconds was added to the accumulated penalty time of Urbanczyk. For an incident between Urbanczyk and Scott Moakes, five seconds was added to the accumulated penalty time of Moakes.

Race one
In the first run down to La Source, Job stayed ahead to lead the pack while Emery moved up to second. As the cars accelerated towards Eau Rouge, Brandon Blakesley found the wall while Craig Williams took emergency avoiding action. Porsche Carrera Cup GB racer Josh Malin made a good start, dicing for third with Moone, but it was the latter who emerged ahead on the opening lap. In Am, Gariboli maintained his category advantage, Gareth Higgins was second, with Luke Pennington third. At the end of the first lap Job enjoyed a comfortable 1.6-second lead over his rivals.

On the second lap, Jack Sedgwick received a slow down penalty, which allowed a flying Gariboli to pick up fourth spot and relegated Sedgwick to eighth. Jakub Urbanczyk was engaged in a scrap with guest entrant and reigning Carrera Cup GB Pro-Am champion Charles Rainford. However, Urbanczyk soon made contact with Leon Penn, losing P12 to Rushworth as a result. As the group navigated the Les Fagnes and Campus complex, there was contact with Jamie Rushworth subsequently spinning off. Having regained a position, Urbanczyk now led four chasing cars: Rainford, Adam State, Thomas Cope and Scott Moakes.

With 10 minutes of the race remaining, Rainford attacked Urbanczyk through Les Combes and Malmedy, with Cope in the mix too. In the melee, Urbanczyk suffered contact and was forced into a half spin. Just a couple of minutes later, Urbanczyk was hit again, this time by a chasing James Parker into the bus stop chicane. In unison, Moakes left the circuit at the same corner, but all three cars rejoined before crossing the line to complete an eventful lap. Next, Cope attacked Rainford into Les Combes, but he took to the escape road when his move failed to materialise.

With six minutes left on the clock, the battle for second place intensified. Moone was under pressure from Emery, Gariboli and Chadwick. Just before the start of the penultimate lap, Emery went deep into the final chicane, allowing Gariboli to make a move for third. Emery immediately came under attack from Chadwick in the run to Le Source, jinking over to defend the inside line, but Chadwick edged ahead before the turn. On the final lap, a scrap for reverse grid pole position between Malin, Sedgwick and Oil Peacock saw Sedgwick get ahead of Malin at Les Combe.

Job's win was his seventh of the season, Moone was second with an impressive Gariboli in third, his first overall podium result. Gariboli's Am victory in parallel saw him joined on the virtual category podium by Higgins and Pennington. Following his last minute overtake, Sedgwick would start the afternoon's second race from reverse grid pole position, just as he did last time out at Oulton Park.

Following the race, for an incident between Gareth Higgins and Charles Rainford on the opening lap, five seconds was added to the race time of Rainford. For an incident between Jakub Urbanczyk and Leon Penn on lap four, five seconds was added to the race time of Penn. For an incident between Jamie Rushworth and Urbanczyk on lap four, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Urbanczyk. For an incident between Urbanczyk and Thomas Cope on lap seven, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Cope. For an incident between Urbanczyk and James Parker on lap seven, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Parker.

Race two
The grid for the second race was determined by reversing the top six finishing positions from race one. Sedgwick made a clean getaway at the start of the race, followed by Emery and Chadwick as they fought over second spot, but Emery was ahead at the foot of Eau Rouge. As the cars jostled for space, Moone found the wall at the exit of Les Combe while Job overtook two cars to sit fourth, directly behind championship rival Chadwick. At the end of the first lap, Sedgwick was a full second clear of Emery.

On the second lap of the race, Chadwick dived to the inside of Emery at Les Combe, snatching second position. Job soon followed his championship rival through, making the new order Sedgwick from Chadwick then Job. In Am, Gariboli was ahead of Higgins while Urbanczyk was third, having moved up an impressive five places, the same number as a charging Rainford. Job wasted little time in dispatching Chadwick in the run down the Kemmel Straight, and then set after leader Sedgwick, who was now 1.9 seconds ahead. Just a few laps later, Job was in Sedgwick's slipstream.

Following his impressive start, Urbanczyk was involved in a spat with State, allowing Jamie Rushworth to assume third in Am. But attentions quickly turned to the final corner – Malin made an error and spun, and was collected by an unsighted Penn, which bunched up the chasing cars. Rainford seized the opportunity to attack Penn for seventh in the run to La Source, but he was denied. Penn, Rainford, Moone and Cope charged through Eau Rouge line astern before racing side-by-side on the approach to Les Combes. Penn took to the grass at Les Combes leaving the order Moone, Cope and Rainford.

With 12 minutes of the race remaining, Job overtook Sedgwick to assume the lead, and Sedgwick soon fell back into the clutches of Chadwick. Chadwick mounted his challenged through Les Combes and Malmedy, performing a slick switchback to get ahead. Just behind the overall leaders, Gariboli was forced to defend from an attacking Emery at Les Combes. Meanwhile Gariboli's Am category rival, Higgins, kept a watching brief from just behind, ready to pounce should the opportunity arise.

With three minutes of the race left, Urbanczyk grabbed P13 – he now led a train of cars including Parker, Blakesley, State and Moakes. Chadwick was forced to drive defensively on the final lap as Sedgwick looked to pass, but the order would remain the same to the flag. Job took the chequered flag first to record his eighth win of the season, Chadwick and Emery followed him home. Gariboli's second Am win of the weekend saw him form the Am category podium with Higgins and Rushworth.

Following the race, for an incident between Adam State and Jakub Urbanczyk on lap two, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Urbanczyk. For an incident between Jack Sedgwick and William Chadwick, five seconds was added to the race time of Chadwick. With post-race time penalties applied, Sedgwick was promoted to second overall, Gariboli to third.

Following the Spa weekend, Jakub Urbanczyk has now accumulated a total of 55 seconds of time penalties during the 2023 season. As a consequence, he will not be permitted to participate in the qualifying session at Silverstone.

The championship returns to virtual British shores on 26 March with a visit to Silverstone's National circuit, a regular stop on the Carrera Cup GB calendar. Following Job's perfect weekend, championship rival Chadwick must dig deep at Silverstone to stay in the title hunt. Meanwhile, Higgins retains a narrow Am category advantage over Gariboli as the season enters its crucial closing stages. Keep up to date with Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB news via the Porsche Motorsport GB Twitter feed: twitter.com/PorscheRacesGB