The virtual Monaco circuit proved to be a fruitful soil for the drivers of the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team. Neel Jani and André Lotterer finished fourth and seventh to score valuable points in the Driver and Team competitions at round three of the “Race at Home Challenge” which is run by the ABB FIA Formula E Championship.

The main race

Starting from seventh and twelfth on the grid, Jani and Lotterer initially managed to successfully avoid any incidents. Both climbed three places and, compared to the opposition, continued to demonstrate strong pace and clever tactics after the early stages. As he had done in last week’s race, Jani, at the wheel of the virtual #18 Porsche 99X Electric, held on to finish fourth. Lotterer made up a further two positions in the #36 car and eventually crossed the finish line in seventh place.

The result was enough to earn Lotterer his first points in the digital series. Jani picked up twelve points for his fourth-place finish, taking the Swiss to 24 points and fifth place in the overall standings. After three races, Lotterer currently lies tenth.

Neel Jani (Porsche 99X Electric, #18) – 4th place
André Lotterer (Porsche 99X Electric, #36) – 7th place

The “Challenge Grid” race

In the race featuring sim racers and influencers, Simona De Silvestro (CH) delivered a consistent performance in her digital Porsche 99X Electric. Starting from 22nd, the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team test and development driver immediately gained four positions at the start. The Swiss then climbed into 17th place on lap four – a position she maintained for the rest of the race.

Simona De Silvestro (Porsche 99X Electric, #36) – 17th place

Quotes on the race:

Marco Ujhasi (Manager Esports at Porsche Motorsport): “That was another display of pure virtual racing action today. Qualifying was rather mixed for Neel and André. They could both have started from further up the grid, however they both fought hard. Generally speaking, we are happy with the result and the points that both Neel and André scored after a flawless race. Simona once again did well in the ‘Challenge Grid’ race for professional sim racers, and managed to climb into 17th place.”

Neel Jani (Porsche 99X Electric, #18): “My latest fourth place in the ‘Race at Home Challenge’ feels great. The seventh-fastest time in qualifying was okay. I had a good start in the race, and was able to climb straight into fourth place in turn one. After that, it was all about staying fully-focussed. Two fourth-places in a row – I now hope I can make it onto the podium next time.”

André Lotterer (Porsche 99X Electric, #36): “Overall, I am happy with seventh place. I did not put in a flawless lap in qualifying, and lost a bit of time in turn two. I then worked my way through the field from eleventh place on the grid in the race. I picked up some valuable points in seventh place, although I was hoping for more. I am now looking forward to the next race and another shot.”

Simona De Silvestro (Porsche 99X Electric, #36): “I am happy to have been involved in my second virtual Formula E race. Like last Saturday, I started from the eleventh row after a rather tough qualifying session. Turn two was chaotic and cost me some time. After that, I was able to climb a few places and ultimately came home in 17th place. My goal for future outings is to secure a better starting position in qualifying.”

About the “Race at Home Challenge”

Until the grand finale on 7th June, virtual races will be held on a weekly basis, as a replacement for the standard races in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship 2019/2020, which have been postponed due to the current crisis. Each live broadcast gets underway at 16:30 CEST. The series sees all 24 drivers in the regular championship do battle for virtual points in racing simulators. The races are held on the realistic rFactor2 simulation platform. Sim racers and influencers also go head to head in separate races to the Formula E drivers. With the “Race at Home Challenge, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship is supporting the child welfare organisation UNICEF, which will be receiving donations raised during the race events.