Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB loaded an online version of the Brands Hatch Indy circuit for rounds three and four of the 2023 championship on Sunday 29 January. Two categories of professional sim racers – Pro and Am – took part in a 20-minute online qualifying session followed by two 25-minute races broadcast live via the Porsche Twitch channel.

Championship leader, Sebastian Job, secured his second pole position of the season in qualifying - the 2021 champion made only one slight error on his way to a comfortable victory in the first of the weekend's two races. Starting in sixth position on the grid for the fourth race of 2023, Job unleashed blistering pace as he overtook his rivals to take a fourth consecutive win. Job's result marks a perfect weekend of pole position, two race wins and two fastest laps.

The surprise performance of the weekend came from Am category driver Leo Gariboli. The newcomer took fifth overall in round three, and then stormed into the lead of round four, going on to hold off all but Job to secure an impressive second place finish overall. Following the Brands Hatch weekend, both Job and Gariboli lead their respective categories by a healthy margin.

Qualifying
Drivers fought for clear space in qualifying on the short 1.2-mile Brands Hatch Indy circuit, but 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup GB racer Josh Malin emerged as the early pacesetter with a time of 44.931. However, Malin's time was soon beaten by a raft of drivers including William Chadwick and Kane Halliburton – the latter following up on his session-topping performance in the day's earlier practice. In Am, Gariboli had the measure of his category rivals but the lap times soon began to tumble.

In the closing stages of the session, Job set the fastest time of the day: 44.318 – enough to top the timing screen, but the 2021 champion immediately went faster still. Job's new time of 44.269 cemented his second pole position of the 2023 season. Chadwick would join Job on the front row of the starting grid for the day's first race, with Jack Sedgwick and Halliburton forming row two. Gariboli, James Parker and Jamie Rushworth were the top three Am category runners.

Following the session, five seconds was added to accumulated penalty time of Jakub Urbanczyk for impeding Daniel McAuley.

Race one
At the start of the weekend's first race, Job accelerated away to lead into the first corner while Chadwick bogged down off the line. However, Chadwick quickly recovered to remain second with Sedgwick slotting into third. Gariboli was the early Am category leader with Adam State and Parker coming next in the order. Job streaked away and rapidly built a gap of eight tenths of a second over the chasing pack, but he ran wide on the exit of Paddock Hill allowing Chadwick to close.

With 21 minutes of racing remaining, Malin was involved in an incident at Surtees, rejoining in 21st position. Attentions then turned to a developing battle for seventh involving five cars: Oli Peacock, Halliburton, Matt Emery, Eric Grove, and Leon Penn – there was little to choose between them. In the second half of the race, Thomas Cope lost control of his car in the run to Druids and was collected by an unsighted Rushworth which forced his retirement. Soon afterwards, guest entrant and Porsche Carrera Cup GB Junior, Adam Smalley, ended his battle with Parker for thirteenth after there was contact between the pair also at the pinch point of Druids.

There were two close fights in the closing stages of the race, the first between Josh Thompson and Jamie Moone for fourth, the second between Emery and Grove for ninth. With just two laps remaining, the Thompson and Moone scrap was resolved when the former made an error – Thompson left the circuit, making contact with the barriers which allowed Moone through for fourth. Emery, however, would remain ahead of Grove to the flag.

Job took the chequered flag to record his third win from three races, the championship leader joined on the overall podium by Chadwick and Sedgwick. In Am, the order remained unchanged with Gariboli taking category victory from State and Parker. Peacock crossed the finish line in sixth position handing him reverse grid pole position for the weekend’s second race.

Race two
The grid for the second race was determined by reversing the top six finishing positions from race one. Peacock lined up on pole position with Am category racer Gariboli alongside. When the lights went out, Gariboli moved to the outside of Peacock through Paddock Hill Bend and was ahead by the time they reached the exit of Druids. Just behind, Sedgwick and Halliburton were among a handful of drivers to leave the circuit in dramatic style at the first corner while Job gained places, followed through by Chadwick. At the end of the opening lap Job was up to third with Chadwick fourth.

Still leading the race and his category, Gariboli was safe from his Am rivals State and Gareth Higgins, who were running further down the order. With 23 minutes of racing remaining, Chadwick went off at Druids before recovering. Meanwhile, Job began putting pressure on Peacock for second and soon found a route through. Job wasted no time in closing up to the rear wing of the leader, Gariboli, eventually passing at Paddock Hill with 14 minutes of the timed race remaining. The top four was now Job, Gariboli, Peacock and Moone.

Having given chase for a number of laps, Thompson attacked Emery for fifth position, but as Emery defended the inside line into Druids there was contact between the pair, causing both to spin. In Am, State left the circuit at Paddock Hill, promoting Brandon Blakesley to third in category. However, back at the front of the race, Am leader Gariboli was successfully holding off Pro category drivers Peacock, Moone and Chadwick for second overall. With three laps remaining, Moone was distracted by an incident for a lapped car, his subsequent error allowing the recovering Chadwick through for fourth.

Job crossed the finish line to continue his unbeaten winning streak in 2023, completing a perfect weekend. Gariboli was second overall – the highest placed Am – with Peacock and Chadwick second and third in the Pro category (third and fourth overall). Higgins and Blakesley joined Gariboli on the Am category podium.

Following the race, for an incident between Sedgwick and Halliburton on the opening lap, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Halliburton. For an incident between Chadwick and Moone on lap two, five seconds was added to Moone's race time. For an incident between McAuley and Cope on lap three, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Cope. Finally, for an incident between Emery and Thompson on lap 18, 10 seconds was added to the race time of Thompson.

Rounds five and six of the championship take place on 12 February at a virtual Snetterton 300 circuit in Norfolk. 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 - 48
2nd - William Chadwick - 30
3rd - Jame Moone - 18

Am
1st - Leo Gariboli - 40
2nd - Brandon Blakesley - 25
3rd - Gareth Higgins - 23