4/9/2020

Season Opener: A Pixel Hunt in Barcelona.

Even at home sitting in the Race Simulator, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup drivers gave everything they had - especially to the factory and guest drivers.

The first racing day of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition in Barcelona is in the books – and it went straight to the point. It’s safe to say that virtual racing will definitely leave some racers in the gravel.

30 Drivers from 18 Countries, 2 Races, 1 Goal: Victory.

The first race on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya course literally made the asphalt pixels glow. Directly after the start, Larry ten Voorde (NL/Team GP Elite) in his 911 GT3 Cup overtook the pole-setter Ayhancan Güven (TR/Martinet by Alméras) and was able to fend off all of Güven’s attacks until the finish. While the two virtual natives were fighting for the top spot, there were plenty of contact-rich overtaking maneuvers on the course; particularly from the factory and guest drivers. As a result, many drivers didn’t make it to the finish line and their digital race cars needed overhauling between Races 1 and 2.

The results of Race 1 determined the starting grid of Race 2. It was now up to Güven to deliver and use any possible mistakes to his advantage. This surprisingly came during the first round. With a spectacular maneuver, Ayhancan overtook the young Dutchman from the GP Elite team and maintained the lead to take first place overall at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

It was a tough but fair fight with Larry ten Voorde. We showed what exciting motorsport looks like on the simulator.

Ayhancan Güven

In the Rookie-Category, Leon Köhler (D/Lechner Racing Middle East) took the lead while Philipp Sager (AUT/Dinamic Motorsport) did in the ProAm Category.

For all motorsports fans who were sitting in the virtual cockpit with Jaxon Evans (NZ), you know the unfortunate outcome of Race 2. After his top 5 finish in Race 1, Evans’ 911 GT3 Cup strayed off the circuit during the first lap and ended the race in 20th place.

Conclusion: Pixels Drive Pure Racing

All in all, it was a thrilling start to the racing season. It’s hard to believe that all the racing action was happening virtually! Without compromise, the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup race drivers brought their A-Game to the digital asphalt. We can’t wait to see the outcome of the next two races of the 2020 season. Tune in on April 18th where we will be racing again virtually from England’s Silverstone Circuit. Will it be local hero Nick Tandy’s time to shine?