Race #4 of the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup took place on one of the most famous race tracks: the Circuit de la Sarthe. Or simply: Le Mans. After a furious sprint race, Kevin Ellis Jr. crossed the finish line first. In the main race, Max Benecke had an thrilling battle for the lead with Yohann Harth and Sebastian Job, culminating with the German winning – at least, that's what everyone thought.

Already during the race, some voices were raised in the paddock demanding a subsequent check of the race result. What happened? After 15 minutes of action in the sprint race, the championship leader Joshua Rogers saw himself at the front of the field. The clock already indicated that we were on the last lap of the race. So, Joshua Rogers only had to cross the finish line. But then the big surprise: the chequered flag was not visible. So, the drivers had to go into another lap on the track. But for about half of the drivers this meant: pit stop. Because the strategists had not expected a fifth lap.

The beneficiaries of this situation were those drivers who had planned to have a buffer in the petrol tank. But this should not have happened. At the end of the sprint race, it was actually Kevin Ellis Jr. from Apex Racing who had won. This result also secured him the pole position in the main race, which continued without any problems afterwards. Maximilian Benecke was on the top step of the podium after 30 minutes. Well deserved. And yet with a slight aftertaste. What would the race result have been like if the sprint race, which determines the starting grid for the main race, had ended regularly?

Of course, these are all speculations - but for many drivers and teams these are very justified thoughts. The intensive examination of the events by the race management has shown that, due to the software error, the competition was not conducted according to the regulations. For this reason iRacing together with Porsche decided not to include the race results in the overall standings. This means that the overall standings after Race #3 remain unchanged. However, so as not to disadvantage the race winners, it was also decided that all prize money for this race day will be awarded. This decision was communicated to the teams and drivers afterwards. All involved are very grateful to everyone who has shown understanding in the sense of fairness and justice.

Plans are already underway to repeat race day #4 at Le Mans. The dates will be coordinated with the teams and drivers. As soon as the repeat date is fixed, we will announce it on the Porsche social media channels. At the same time, preparations are underway for the next highlight in the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup. On 4 July, the worldwide simracing elite will meet in the Eifel region to find out who can conquer the Green Hell. As always, the race will be shown live on the Porsche YouTube and Twitch channels.