Job returns to defend Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB crown
Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB, the virtual championship for professional sim racers, gets underway this weekend when the lights go out for the start of its second season. The third Porsche Motorsport GB championship, running alongside Porsche Visit Cayman Islands Sprint Challenge GB and Porsche Carrera Cup GB, returns for 2022 with a calendar of 16 races taking place across eight weekends – culminating with a live final.
At the end of January, drivers took part in pre-qualification for the championship which utilises the iRacing platform, an online subscription-based racing simulation used by racers around the world. Drivers set their best lap times on the challenging Silverstone Grand Prix circuit ahead of a three-lap race. The top 26 on the timesheet went through to form the championship grid for the season, rounds one and two also using the full 3.6-mile Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.
Returning 2021 champion Sebastian Job is among those searching for further Esports glory and a share of an increased £15,000 prize pot. 21-year-old Job from East Grinstead will be joined by a roster of names familiar from the championship's debut season. Former race winners Kevin Ellis Jr, Peter Berryman and Graham Carroll also make their returns alongside several experienced frontrunners and exciting newcomers – some undertaking dual campaigns in Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB and Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup.
The 26 entrants are:
Josh Thompson
Sebastian Job
Kevin Ellis Jr
Graham Carroll
Peter Berryman
William Chadwick
Jack Sedgwick
Jamie Moone
Blair Mann
Matt Emery
Brandon Blakesley
Josh Poulain
Craig A Williams
Leon Penn
Daniel J MacDonald
Conan Wearn
Lewis Goodway
Jon Derrick
Matthew Crisp
Lewis Ward
Will Tregurtha
Daniel McAuley
Adam K Brown
Daniel J Thomas
Michael Weddell
Dane Baird
Adding to the excitement of the championship's opening weekend will be the debut of the 'Type 992' Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB. This virtual representation has been developed in conjunction with Porsche and is modelled on highly accurate data from the same 510 hp GT3 Cup which makes its debut in Porsche Carrera Cup GB this season.
The Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB season takes place between February and May 2022. Each weekend will follow the same format as 2021, which sees drivers taking part in a 60-minute practice session followed by a 17-minute qualifying session to set the grid for the first of the day's two 25-minute races. The top three overall finishers in each race will receive prize money after each round – £150 for first, £100 for second and £50 for third. The top three overall championship finishers receive their share of a prize put amounting to £15,000 – £7,500 for first, £5,000 for second and £2,500 for third place in the championship.
The action begins on Sunday, 20 February 2022 at 14:00 GMT. Fans can spectate via a dedicated online livestream featuring professional commentary and post-race driver interviews broadcast on the Porsche Twitch (www.twitch.tv/porsche) and YouTube channels (youtube.com/Porsche).