Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Set for May 2
Qualification process has come to an end, with 40 sim racers from 14 countries set to compete for $200,000.
Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands is one of 20 drivers to secure a spot via the “Porsche iRacing Cup” qualification procedure. The other half of the grid consists of the top 20 competitors from the 2019 season. Last year’s champion, Joshua Rogers from Australia, and other sim racing professionals are part of this group. The new season of the digital racing series takes off on May 2 at the virtual Circuit Zandvoort on the Dutch North Sea coast. This year, drivers will compete for a total of $200,000. As a platform for all 10 events, the Esports Supercup counts on iRacing, the premier online racing simulation, for the second year.
“Last year we added sim racing to our motorsport family,” says Marco Ujhasi, Manager Esports at Porsche Motorsport. “We’ve set ourselves the goal of professionalizing virtual motor racing and developing it into an exciting spectator sport. In the current situation, we’re attracting a huge following. The Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup with the world’s best (sim) racers offers authentic, entertaining racing at the highest sporting level.”
Over 5,000 participants took part in the qualifying races for the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup. Joining Max Verstappen (Team Redline) from the Netherlands on the grid this season is title defender Joshua Rogers (VRS Coanda Simsport) from Australia. Also among this season’s participants are Maximilian Benecke (D/Team Redline) and Sebastian Job (GB/Red Bull Racing Esports Team) from Britain. This trio claimed the top three overall spots in 2019.
Ten events make up the 2020 calendar of the world championship series. Each race day consists of five sessions. A free practice (20 minutes) is followed by a 12-minute qualifying session run as an individual time trial, a sprint race over 15 minutes, a warm-up (ten minutes) and the 30-minute main race.
Drivers earn points towards the championship from both races. Victory in the sprint event is rewarded with 25 points, with the winner of the main event receiving double the points. The top five qualifiers also receive additional points. The pole-sitter earns ten points for the overall classification.