Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB arrived at a simulated Snetterton for rounds five and six of the 2023 championship on Sunday 12 February. The Norfolk circuit's challenging 2.9-mile 300 layout hosted two online races for 22 professional sim racers and an intense fight for glory culminated in new winners in both categories – Pro and Am.
The championship leader, Sebastian Job, entered the weekend as the driver to beat with an undefeated string of victories under his belt. Job looked on course to repeat his previous results when he secured pole position in qualifying and drove to victory in the weekend's first race. However, an incident with championship rival William Chadwick in the afternoon's second event saw Job denied, Jack Sedgwick emerging ahead for his first win of the season.
Meanwhile, Gareth Higgins was another new winner; he enjoyed his maiden Am category win in round five, following that with a second victory in round six. However, the standout performance of the weekend came from 2022 Porsche Carrera Cup GB Pro-Am category champion, Charles Rainford. Making his Esports debut, Rainford secured second and fifth place overall finishes, the guest entrant underlining the similarities between sim racing and his discipline.
Qualifying
The 20-minute qualifying session initially saw drivers burning off their imposed fuel load before setting representative times with lighter tanks. Pro category driver Leon Penn and Am runner Brandon Blakesley followed their impressive performances in the day's earlier practice session with competitive lap times early on. With ten minutes remaining on the clock, normal service was resumed when Job jumped to the top of the timing screen with a time of 1:48.200.
In the latter stages of the session Chadwick mounted a challenge for pole, his time of 1:48.139 was just 0.062 quicker than Job's earlier effort, while Matt Emery occupied third. Meanwhile, Luke Pennington emerged ahead in Am with Higgins and Jamie Rushworth chasing a pacesetting time. In the final minutes of qualifying, Job set a new lap time of 1:47.999 – good enough to secure his third pole position of the season while Pennington remained the fastest Am.
Following the session, for an incident between Brandon Blakesley and Leo Gariboli, five seconds was added to the accumulated penalty time of Gariboli. For an incident between Luke Pennington and Oli Peacock, five seconds was added to the accumulated penalty time of Peacock.
Race one
When the lights went out Job made a good start to retain his lead into the first corner. Chadwick stayed second while Eric Grove ran behind, but Emery would soon grab third. In Am, Pennington stayed ahead of category rival Higgins with Scott Moakes snatching third early on. Further into the opening lap, Am championship leader Leo Gariboli left the circuit at Agostini with Adam State involved as he took avoiding action. On lap two, impressive guest entrant Rainford began a battle with Josh Thompson for seventh, the pair switching places twice.
As Job pulled a gap at the front there was drama when Moakes went off, promoting Rushworth back into third in Am. Meanwhile the scrap for fourth overall intensified with Pennington leading a train of cars including Am rival Higgins, Pro category drivers Grove and Thompson, and a chasing Rainford. At the end of lap six Thompson made contact with Grove at Murrays, Thompson emerging ahead but the incident gave Rainford a run on him towards Riches. When they arrived at the corner Thompson ran wide allowing Rainford through on the inside.
As Rainford defended sixth and a potential reverse grid pole position for the day's second encounter, a fierce fight for 11th developed between five cars; Rushworth, James Parker, Blakesley, and the recovering Grove and Gariboli – less than 1.5 seconds covered the group. Further up the order, Pennington and Higgins amplified their dice for the lead in Am, fourth and fifth overall. Soon they were part of a seven-car train including a fighting Rainford and Sedgwick. However, when Pennington made an error the Am order became Higgins from Rushworth with Pennington now third, also promoting Sedgwick to the crucial sixth position.
Job saw the flag first to take his fifth win in as many races, Chadwick second with Emery third. Higgins claimed his maiden Am win, joined on the virtual category podium by Rushworth and Emery. Sedgwick maintained his sixth position and in doing so he secured reverse grid pole position for the second race.
Following the race, for an incident between Jakub Urbanczyk and Brandon Blakesley on lap one, five seconds was added to the race one time of Blakesley. For a further incident between Brandon Blakesley and Leo Gariboli on lap 14, five seconds was added to the race one time of Gariboli.
Race two
The grid for the second race was determined by reversing the top six finishing positions from race one. Sedgwick and Rainford formed the front row with Higgins and Emery on row two, championship protagonists Chadwick and Job on row three. At the start of the race, Sedgwick stayed ahead into the first corner with Rainford second, Am racer Higgins third and Emery fourth. In their fight Job leapt past Chadwick, while following Higgins in Am were Rushworth and Gariboli. A late lunge from Daniel McAuley at Murrays on the opening lap saw him make contact with Urbanczyk and Blakesley.
With 20 minutes of racing remaining, Chadwick closed on Job, overtaking for fifth at Oggies but Job got back alongside him down the Bentley Straight. They arrived at Brundle side by side, but Chadwick maintained the inside line. Job spun off from the outside line, sending the championship leader tumbling down the order. Chadwick, now sixth, continued his race. At the front, Sedgwick finally enjoyed some breathing space from the chasing Rainford as Emery, now third, closed on the Carrera Cup GB racer.
With 10 minutes remaining, Emery locked up which slowed those behind and allowed Chadwick to overtake Higgins for fourth. A few laps later Chadwick attacked Emery for third, passing down the inside at Wilson but overshooting the apex which allowed Emery to perform a cut back, reinstating the previous running order. In the closing stages of the race, Gariboli challenged Rushworth for second in Am, the pair running alongside one another into Bomb Hole with Grove nosing himself into the mix too, but it was Rushworth who emerged ahead – second in Am and eighth overall.
Sedgwick crossed the line to take his first victory of the season, an impressive Rainford came home second with Emery third. Higgins, Rushworth and Gariboli formed the Am category podium. Job finished in 14th, ending his winning streak in 2023 and scoring no championship points.
Following the race, for an incident between Jakub Urbanczyk and Daniel McAuley on the opening lap, 10 seconds was added to race two time of McAuley.
Rounds seven and eight of the championship take place on 26 February at the challenging Oulton Park in Cheshire.
Championship positions:
Pro
1st - Sebastian Job - 62
2nd - William Chadwick - 46
3rd - Matt Emery - 28
Am
1st - Leo Gariboli - 49
2nd - Gareth Higgins - 43
3rd - Brandon Blakesley - 27
