The Porsche factory team competed in the online preliminary rounds from their new HQ in Cologne. At the state-of-the-art Porsche Esports Performance Center, they qualified for the finals in Saudi Arabia by finishing top in the teams’ standings. The “R1” series is the highest-ranking championship in sim racing. At the Esports World Cup, the competitors will do battle for a prize pool of 500,000 dollars in their discipline.
Two new faces in the Porsche team
“The EWC is the absolute highlight of the season for us,” said Nina Braack, Manager Esports at Porsche Motorsport. “The EWC is the equivalent of the FIFA World Cup among professional esports tournaments – it’s the biggest event there is. So, we have been making sure we are thoroughly prepared once again. We head to Riyadh as championship leaders in R1, which is why we are confident that we are in with a very good chance.”
The sim racing series was held in the Saudi capital for the first time in 2023. Porsche won the title in the teams’ championship with the then new factory team. They finished in fifth place last year.
Luke Pennington, performance engineer of the Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team: “I’m happy with our performance in the preliminaries. Riyadh will be tough: The many practice sessions and races on the road to the showdown on Friday are spread across four days. That requires peak mental performances in particular. The team is slightly different from last year: In Jordan Caruso we have a new driver on board. Also, it isn’t my first EWC appearance, but it is my first as part of the Porsche team.”
Porsche Coanda Esports Racing Team: driver line-up
Jordan Caruso, 24 (AUS)
Charlie Collins, 20 (GB)
Joshua Rogers, 25 (AUS)
Dayne Warren, 25 (AUS)
The road to the title
In the online races held between March and June, the Porsche team picked up the most points. This means they have qualified for the EWC finals, as has Formula 1 star Max Verstappen’s second-placed BMW Team Redline.
Two teams missed out on a ticket for Riyadh in the preliminaries. Six other teams still have the chance to make it to the final in Riyadh – but only one of them will succeed.
The winner of the R1 championship will be decided in “Finalist Mode”: Three teams of four drivers will contest several races. The first team to win a race after having picked up at least 250 points wins the title.
Esports highlight of the year
With 25 different esports competitions in seven weeks, the EWC is the biggest spectator event of its kind. The event gets underway on 7 July and ends on 24 August. It will be held at an event center covering around 60,000 square metres; the center comprises several esports arenas. Across all disciplines, the total prize fund comes in at more than 70 million US dollars – an EWC record.
Live broadcast
Fans and motorsport enthusiasts can watch the R1 races live on Porsche’s official Twitch channel.
Brief overview: R1
- The unofficial sim racing premier class is contested on the “Rennsport” platform.
- The cars fielded are based on GT3 regulations, including the 911 GT3 R.
- Like in real-life racing, a Balance of Performance ensures a level playing field.
- 12 teams consisting of 4 drivers each compete in a team championship.
- The drivers qualify for the final live event at the EWC through the online events.
- 500,000 US dollars in prize money up for grabs in the R1 championship.
The Porsche Motorsport Hub offers more information about the series.
Esports, sim racing and Porsche
Esports involve competitive gaming with video games. This also includes simulated racing, or sim racing. In professional sim racing, drivers use hardware adopted from real race cars. For example, steering wheels and pedals require the same operating force. The software typically simulates real racetracks and vehicles. Competitors race against each other either online or on a local network. Many major esports championships hold online qualifiers but host their finals on-site with a live audience. Esports are particularly popular in Asia and the USA. Vice President of Porsche Motorsport Thomas Laudenbach: “Whether digital or real, motorsport is in our blood. But we’re not doing it just for the fun of it. Esports help us connect with a young, tech-savvy audience. Plus, simulations are playing a bigger and bigger role – whether it’s preparing for a race or developing our race and road cars.”