Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB arrived at a simulated Silverstone circuit on Sunday 26 March. The short 1.6-mile National circuit played host to the sixth weekend of the championship, seeing 22 professional sim racers in two categories – Pro and Am – battle online.

Overall championship leader, Sebastian Job, was once again the driver to beat, fending off his rivals to take a sixth pole position of the season. Job underlined his dominance by taking a lights-to-flag victory in the first race of the weekend while those behind squabbled for position. Am category leader, Gareth Higgins, was involved in an incident at the start, as a result he was forced to watch Leo Gariboli take the advantage in their category battle.

Job looked threatening once again in the weekend's second race, but Jamie Moone managed to capitalise on a four-car scrap for the lead, emerging ahead to cross the line first on the track. However, with post race penalties applied, Job was handed a second victory of the weekend. Gariboli took another Am win. Job now sits 42 points ahead at the top of the championship table with only four races remaining.

Qualifying
Moone was one of the early Pro category pacesetters in the first part of qualifying, Gariboli showing the way in Am. However, Charles Rainford was the first driver to set a truly representative lap time before he was quickly usurped by Job – the first driver to lap the circuit in under 55 seconds. Rainford soon came back with an answer for Job though, his time of 54.910 eclipsing that of Job by just 0.013 seconds.

In the closing stages of the session Matt Emery joined the fight for pole position, setting a time of 54.820, but Job replied with a 54.710 in the final minute of qualifying – enough to secure his sixth pole position of the season. He would be joined on the front row by Emery with Moone starting third. Luke Pennington was the highest placed Am driver in an impressive sixth overall.

Following the session, for an incident between Luke Pennington and Charles Rainford, five seconds was added to accumulated penalty time of Rainford.

Race one
Job made a clean getaway when the lights went out to lead into the first corner, Rainford accelerated into third but there was drama further back. As they diced for position off the line, Higgins, Jack Sedgwick, William Chadwick and Gariboli squeezed one another, Higgins pitched into the wall as a result. At the front of the race Job settled into his lead with Emery and Rainford giving chase. In Am, Pennington stayed ahead of a recovering Gariboli, the latter slotting into second in category.

Rainford and Moone soon became engaged in a close fight for position, Moone attacking the reigning Porsche Carrera Cup GB Pro-Am category champion for third. Contact between the pair relegated Rainford to P13 while Moone continued, Chadwick capitalising on the incident to snatch third. Job and Emery used the fight to their advantage, pulling clear of the pack. Gariboli soon mounted a challenge on Am rival Pennington, at first he was denied but eventually got ahead.

With 15 minutes of the race remaining, Pennington entered a fight with Josh Malin for sixth, Malin getting ahead to leave Pennington under fire from Cope. In a further incident, a recovering Rainford drove alongside Adam State at Luffield resulting in contact. With 5 minutes of racing remaining, Scott Moakes mounted a challenge on Jamie Rushworth for second in Am, P12 overall, but attentions quickly turned to the intensifying battle for second overall. In the final two laps Chadwick pushed Emery hard, forcing his rival to go defensive; they drove side by side at Luffield but stayed in the same positions.

Job took the flag to record his ninth win of the season, Emery hanging on to finish second with Chadwick a close third. An impressive Malin crossed the line in sixth, up from P14 on the grid, to secure reverse grid pole position for the weekend's second race. In Am, Gariboli took category victory with Pennington second, Rushworth third.

Following the race, for an incident between Jack Sedgwick, Gareth Higgins, Luke Pennington, Leo Gariboli, and Charles Rainford, five seconds was added to the race one time of Gariboli. For an incident between Thomas Cope and Jack Sedgwick, 10 seconds was added to the race one time of Sedgwick. For an incident between Adam State and Charles Rainford on lap 17, 10 seconds was added to the race one time of Rainford.

Race two
The grid for the second race was determined by reversing the top six finishing positions from race one. Malin led into the first corner while Job was immediately alongside Emery while Gariboli and Moone also diced for position. Job quickly drove to the inside of Chadwick at Luffield, giving him fourth, before overtaking Gariboli for third. Moone and leader Malin were next in his sights. Gariboli remained the Am category leader from Pennington and Rushworth.

Job wasted no time in attacking Moone for second, but his move at the Brooklands and Luffield section of the circuit was denied. Continuing his eventful weekend, Rainford was involved in an incident with Leon Penn, Rainford forced wide which allowed Penn to snatch P8 and Pennington P9, leaving Rainford relegated to P10. With 20 minutes of the race remaining, Gariboli was struck by Oli Peacock as they approached the Wellington Straight, the former nevertheless maintaining his Am category lead.

Job challenged for second at Brooklands, passing Moone and immediately followed through by Chadwick for third while Emery soon began a similar attack on Moone for fourth. Job was quickly on the tail of leader Malin, passing him up the inside at Luffield. However, Chadwick moved to the inside of both and, as the three ran side by side, there was contact forcing both Malin and Job wide. Chadwick emerged in the lead with Emery now second and Moone back up to third. Job continued in fifth with Malin dropping back to P10.

With 8 minutes remaining, a four-car fight for the race lead intensified; Chadwick, Moone, Emery and Job all running line astern. With three minutes left on the clock, Moone broke the stalemate, taking the lead of the race by passing Chadwick. Emery soon looked to do the same, delaying the pair, which allowed Job to snatch the advantage and take third. In the dying moments of the race, Job passed Chadwick for second, but he could not stop Moone crossing the line first. The final order was Moone, Job and Chadwick. Gariboli, Pennington and State formed the Am category podium. However, penalties applied by the stewards would deny Moone his maiden win.

Following the race, for an incident between Leo Gariboli and Oli Peacock on lap nine, five seconds was added to the race two time of Peacock. For an incident between Sebastian Job and William Chadwick on lap 14, 10 seconds was added to the race two time of Chadwick. For an incident between William Chadwick and Jamie Moone on lap 23, five seconds was added to the race two time of Moone.

Following the Silverstone weekend, Charles Rainford has accumulated a total of 30 seconds of time penalties in the accumulated penalty time (APT) ranking. As a result, and in accordance with Article 9.5.2 of the series regulations, Rainford will not be permitted to participate in the qualifying session at Donington Park.

Just four races remain on the 2023 calendar. The penultimate weekend takes place at Donington Park on 16 April, the virtual visit to Leicestershire will prove crucial in shaping championship battles up and down the grid. 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 - 124
2nd - William Chadwick - 82
3rd - Matt Emery - 70

Am
1st - Leo Gariboli - 97
2nd - Gareth Higgins - 83
3rd - Luke Pennington - 65