Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB, the virtual championship for professional sim racers, made a successful debut in 2021 and crowned 21-year-old esports star Sebastian Job as its inaugural champion. 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 full calendar of 16 races taking place across eight weekends.

Following Porsche Esports championships such as Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup which is entering its fourth season this year, Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB mimics the format of Porsche Carrera Cup GB, which races in support of the British Touring Car Championship, visiting circuits across the UK. The 2022 calendar is:

20 February - Silverstone (GP) - Rounds 1&2
27 February - Brands Hatch (Indy) - Rounds 3&4
13 March - Snetterton - Rounds 5&6
20 March - Oulton Park - Rounds 7&8
27 March - Knockhill - Rounds 9&10
10 April - Silverstone (National) - Rounds 11&12
17 April - Donington Park - Rounds 13&14
8 May - Brands Hatch (GP) - Rounds 15&16 (live final)

Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB race weekends take place on the iRacing platform, an online subscription-based racing simulation used by racers around the world. Each event will feature a one hour practice session, 17 minute qualifying session and two 25 minute races. New for 2022 is the addition of Knockhill to the calendar – the popular 1.2-mile Scottish racetrack in Fife was added to the iRacing roster in December 2021. Furthermore, the season will culminate with an all-new live final set to be held in May where champions will be crowned.

Drawing further parallels between the real and virtual racing worlds, 2022 marks the arrival of the 'Type 992' Porsche 911 GT3 Cup to Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB. Developed in conjunction with Porsche, the new car is modelled on highly accurate data from the same 510hp GT3 Cup car which makes its debut in Porsche Carrera Cup GB later this year. Sim racers will be required to adapt to driving the entirely new car which reacts as would its real-life counterpart, providing competitors with the same challenging and engaging driving experience.

Some of the world's best sim racers were amongst the hopefuls who entered the championship's initial pre-qualification stages in late January. Drivers took part in a 240 minute open practice session and a three lap race around the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit in their battle to secure one of 26 available places on the championship starting grid.

Competitors will be fighting for an increased prize pot of £15,000 in 2022 (£7,500 for first, £5,000 for second and £2,500 for third place in the championship). In addition, 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. Fans will be able to follow the action via a dedicated online livestream featuring professional commentary and post-race driver interviews.

“Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB provided an engaging show in 2021, wholeheartedly earning its position in the Porsche Motorsport GB pyramid. Sim racing has come a long way in recent years, offering racers of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to compete on even terms against the very best in the world. The fact that many Porsche Carrera Cup GB drivers use the iRacing platform as practice ahead of race weekends speaks volumes in itself.

"With the addition of new circuits, a larger prize fund and a live final at the end of the season, it is easy to see how seriously Porsche takes the Esports arena. Our newest Porsche racing championship underlines our desire to encourage and welcome new racing talent to the Porsche Motorsport GB family," explains James MacNaughton, Manager, Motorsport, Porsche Cars GB.