The Porsche Coanda Esports works squad kicked off the ESL R1 autumn championship with seventh place thanks to Joshua Rogers. In the final race among the top twelve, the Australian sim racer ploughed his way from the back of the field after being handed a “slow-down” penalty in qualifying. His teammate and fellow countryman Dayne Warren was on track to secure a podium spot when he too received a warning for exceeding the track limit and was ultimately classified 12th.

The autumn series of the ESL R1 sim racing series on the new “Rennsport” simulation platform got underway in the “Temple of Speed” in Monza, Italy. Like the inaugural spring series, eight races will be contested until 11 November. The major final will be held two weeks later in Jönköping, Sweden. Prize money of 40,000 USD awaits the winners in both the team and driver classifications.

Since the championship’s debut in the first half of the year, the organisers of the European Sports League (ESL) have introduced two important changes. While the preliminary heats have always been held on Fridays and the final races on the following Monday evening, the new format from Thursday to Friday is considerably more compact. In addition, the quarter and semi-final events now enjoy a higher sporting status. The first six of the twelve starters advance to the next round as usual, but now also receive points for their respective result – the winner, for example, receives 25 points, the second 20 and so on to the eleventh spot, which is rewarded with one point. In the finale, the winner earns 35 points. The aim is to create a greater incentive for gripping duels over the entire field.

The event got off to a promising start for the Porsche Coanda Esports works team. The two Australians Joshua Rogers and Dayne Warren and Mitchell deJong from the USA secured a spot in the semi-finals on Thursday with third and fourth places. In ninth place, Mack Bakkum from the Netherlands missed out.

Ahead of the first semi-final, Warren had qualified on P6 just 0.069 seconds shy of pole position. While the top three managed to pull clear slightly at the front, a fierce five-way battle unfolded behind them with spirited slipstream battles for fourth to sixth place. Successfully fending off the pack in his digital 911 GT3 R, Warren crossed the finish line in fourth place and advanced into the finale. Mitchell deJong finished tenth.

Tackling the second semi-final from pole position, Joshua Rogers faced tough opposition from UK sim racer Sebastian Job (G2 Esports) for the lead in the first lap. The Australian then proceeded to eke out a small advantage at the front only to come under pressure again in the last two laps. Ultimately, he took the flag in second place.

Warren took up the final from the front grid row. Once again, a lively five-way battle broke out, but this time for victory. In the tumult with the eventual winner Sebastian Job, Hungary’s Marcell Csincsik (R8G Esports) and the two Williams drivers Daire McCormack from Ireland and Jakub Brzezinski (Poland), Warren exceeded the track limits once too often. The Australian was handed a five-second penalty, which threw him to the back of the field. Josh Rogers also headed into the race from the back of the field due to a track limit violation but managed to work his way up to seventh position.

Comments on the race
Nina Braack (D, Esports Manager at Porsche Motorsport): “After winning the Gamers8 Festival in Saudi Arabia and our great preparation, we were excited about the start of the season. Essentially, it’s very positive that we made it into the semi-finals with three drivers and into the final with two drivers – although we’d envisaged a different outcome in the race. We’re now collating all the data and will do better next weekend.”

Jörn Jens (D, Team Manager Porsche Coanda Esports Racing): “We reached the semi-finals with three drivers, which was great, but we didn’t score enough points with one third and two fourth places. Joshua Rogers and Dayne Warren advanced to the final. Bad luck for Joshua with the cancellation of his qualifying time. During the race, Dayne had to fight for positions over the entire distance and received too many off-track cautions in the process. This also resulted in a penalty. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a great start but we did show our potential.”

Joshua Rogers (AUS, Porsche Coanda Esports Racing): “All in all, a solid start for us. I finished third in the knockout races on Thursday and second in the semi-finals. In qualifying for the finale, I unfortunately made a mistake at the end of the Ascari corner, otherwise the lap would’ve been strong. From P12 on the grid, I gained a few positions at the end of the race. Now I’m looking forward to Spa-Francorchamps in a week’s time – we’ve always done well there.”

Dayne Warren (AUS, Porsche Coanda Esports Racing): “I have mixed feelings about the season opener of the ESL R1 autumn series. Getting into the final went smoothly. I’m pretty happy with my qualifying lap. The first half of the race was intense, but then I inadvertently put myself in a tricky situation and received another warning. Hopefully, things will go better in Spa.”

Monza (I), finale result
1. Sebastian Job, BMW M4 GT3 (UK, G2 Esports)
2. Daire McCormack, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo (IRL, Williams)
3. Marcell Csincsik, Audi R8 LMS GT3 evo II (H, R8G Esports)
7. Joshua Rogers, Porsche 911 GT3 R (AUS, Porsche Coanda Esports Racing)
12. Dayne Warren, Porsche 911 GT3 R (AUS, Porsche Coanda Esports Racing)

Drivers’ standings after 1 of 8 rounds
1. Sebastian Job (UK, G2 Esports), 85 points
2. Daire McCormacko (IRL, Williams Esports), 70 points
3. Marcell Csincsik (H, R8G Esports), 62 points
4. Erhan Jajovski (MZ, R8G Esport), 47 points
5. Joshua Rogers (AUS, Porsche Coanda Esports Racing), 255 points
10. Dayne Warren (AUS, Porsche Coanda Esports Racing), 31 points
17. Mitchell deJong (USA, Porsche Coanda Esports Racing), 15 points

Team standings after 1 of 8 rounds
1. Wiliams Esports, 176 points
2. R8G Esports, 168 points
3. G2 Esports, 104 points
4. Porsche Coanda Esports Racing, 96 points

2023 ESL R1 autumn series
31.8/1.9 Monza (I)
7./8.9 Spa-Francorchamps (B)
21./22.9 Hockenheim (D)
28./29.9 Nürburgring (D)
5./6.10 Monza (I)
28./27.10 Race 6 (tbd)
2./3.11 Race 7 (tbd)
9./10.11 Race 8 (tbd)
24.11 Major Finale Jönköping (S)