Stalemate in Silverstone.

WOW! What an unbelievable Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition race day last Saturday at Silverstone. If anyone knows how to ‘park it’ in a slipstream directly behind the leader, it’s Larry ten Voorde. For an unprecedented 22 Minutes he rode his nose directly up against the diffuser of Ayhancan Güven’s martin by Alméras 911 GT3 Cup, drawing us deeper into a virtual stand-off.

For most of the Virtual Edition’s third and fourth rounds it was unclear who would be going home with the win. During Race 3, ten Voorde held the pole position until just before the finish his own braking error opened the door for Ayhanacan who shot past, pushing ten Voorde aside. Luckily the flying Dutchman managed to get back on track, finishing the race in 2nd position. A perfect starting situation for an epic battle of both drivers in race 4.

Before we go into details, let’s review the honorable mentions. It’s clear that Lechner Racing is making strides in the virtual racing scene. Momo Megatron Lechner Racing with Jaxon Evans at the wheel placed in the top 5 in Race 3. Dylan Pereira with BWT Lechner Racing plus Leon Köhler driving for Lechner Racing Middle East all finished in the top 5 of Race 4 at Silverstone. Supercup guest and Porsche factory driver Nick Tandy definitely became a local hero, bringing home a top 5 spot for Exxon Mobil Oil Corporation in both races. And last, but certainly not least, Max van Splunteren flew to 3rd place for GP Elite in Race 3, lining up behind Larry ten Voorde. In the end, competition is competition for these young drivers, whether driving on the real track or in their simulators. It’s clear that the pixels were flying during both races at Silverstone last weekend. Even after the start, many of the race drivers had to park their 911 GT3 Cup cars after just a few laps. This doesn’t detract from the excitement of the virtual edition of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup – especially when you can witness a stand-off like the one between Güven and Voorde during Race Day two’s finale.

After the start of Race 4, it only took about three laps for the field to line-up at the top. Güven and ten Voorde setting themselves apart from the chase with extremely fast lap times. That’s when the dog fight really began. Güven spread himself out on the track leaving ten Voorde in his slipstream, forcing him to dart left and right attempting to get inside. Ten Voorde’s tries were futile as Güven came back every time with consistent counterattacks. A thrilling phase of the race where even the spectators forgot they were watching a virtual showdown.

After nearly 25 minutes, the drivers headed into the final lap, which cleared only 2 seconds before the end of the race! Güven entered Stowe confidently, only to suddenly see before him – coming from a pixel fog from tire wear – Jaap van Lagen from FACH AUTO TECH spinning out on the corner exit. Güven dodged to the left opening up the lane for Larry ten Voorde to flow easily through on the inside. The Dutchman’s success was inevitable. Total madness! Can you imagine what curses were coming from Ayhancan Güven’s Sim Rig? For us viewers, it couldn’t have been a better race. How often does one get to witness such a ‘death till the end’ kind of race?

The Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup Virtual Edition delivers again. Exactly the action race enthusiasts want to experience: thrilling position battles, spectacular overtaking maneuvers and a top spot duel for the overall standing. Races 3 and 4 will remain top of mind for a long time. The Virtual Edition of the Porsche Supercup is definitely making history. This weekend the battles continue from Spa-Francorchamps, the perfect stage for revenge with epic curve combinations like Eau Rouge and Raidillon. Oh man!