Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Race Preview: Barcelona

After a dramatic season opener in Interlagos, the 2021 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup rolls on this weekend at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for the second of 10 rounds this season. With 40 of the world’s best drivers on the grid, stakes remain high as title contenders look to distinguish themselves from the pack in the $200,000 series.

In their debut race, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Esport made a major splash in last week’s 20-lap feature from Brazil, with Kevin Ellis Jr. scoring his first series win and rookie teammate Zac Campbell in fourth. Campbell nearly made it an RLL 1-2 before Maximilian Benecke and Mitchell deJong got past on the final lap, with the German beating the American to the checkered flag by just .024 seconds for the second position.

But in spite of the edge those drivers will carry into Barcelona this weekend, there’s a bevy of familiar talent that will be primed to bounce back from disappointing results last week. That list includes both former series champions, as Josh Rogers and Sebastian Job each had a weekend to forget at Interlagos; Rogers sits tied for ninth in points, while Job will attempt to come back from 21^st. Both are still better off than series veterans like Patrik Holzmann and Yohann Harth, who were among the unlucky 12 to leave the opener without yet scoring points.

Barcelona is one of a handful of tracks to remain on the PTHESC calendar from last year, and retains its spot as the second event of the season. Last year, it was Benecke on top of the podium, with Formula 1 superstar Max Verstappen finishing second in the race and Sindre Setsaas coming home third. Ellis will look to improve on last year’s seventh place finish, while Rogers (15^th), Job (26^th), and deJong (38^th) will hope that their 2021 results in this race don’t look anything like last May’s performances.

As always, Saturday’s Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup race will be preceded by an All-Star Race featuring major influencers and real-world drivers. This week’s guest racer is Porsche works driver Richard Lietz, a former Le Mans, Daytona, and Nurburgring winner who will take part in this year’s 24 Hours of Daytona with Proton Racing. The All-Star Race action kicks off at 1PM ET, with the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup immediately following at 2PM ET.

Saturday’s Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup race from Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya can be seen on Porsche and iRacing social media channels. Following the event, the series will continue in two weeks’ time with a visit to Imola for the first time in its history. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.

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