Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Race Preview: Red Bull Ring
March 31st, 2023 by Chris Leone
Saturday marks the halfway point of the 2023 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup season, with the series heading back to Europe for a return engagement at the Red Bull Ring. Live streaming of the iRacing series for top esports pros will kick off on Saturday at 19:00 GMT (3PM ET) via Porsche’s channels on YouTube and Twitch, while the All-Star series will directly precede it at 18:00 GMT (2PM ET).
Last Race: Circuit of the Americas played host to the fourth round of the campaign, where defending series champion Diogo Pinto would find himself on top of the box for the first time this year. Despite qualifying 10th, Pinto climbed to eighth in the sprint race, good enough to earn the top starting spot for the feature after the eight-car invert, and led every lap of the main event from there.
Second place finisher Jordan Caruso challenged Pinto on the final lap but couldn’t quite get by, but still left the home of the United States Grand Prix with the points lead over Charlie Collins as a result. Collins could only get up to fifth in the feature from his ninth place starting spot, the result of Pinto passing him for eighth late in the sprint race. Alejandro Sanchez completed the podium after winning the sprint, his first victory since the feature at Silverstone last year.
Last Season: Two of this year’s front-runners were also on top of the box in last year’s visit to the Red Bull Ring. Top qualifier Collins took last year’s sprint victory, while 2020 series champion Sebastian Job gave his Red Bull Racing Esports team a home victory by winning the main event. It was Job’s first feature victory out of three on the season, and his third win out of seven across all sprint and feature races on the year.
Track Facts: Home of the Austrian Grand Prix, the Red Bull Ring is one of Europe’s fastest road tracks. The 2.683-mile, 10-turn facility was built out of the former Osterreichring, which operated from 1969 to 1995, and was initially reconfigured as the A1 Ring. The track operated through 2003 before a nearly decade-long hiatus, during which it was sold to Red Bull. The track returned to action in 2011 and regained the Austrian Grand Prix three years later.
Next Up: Following the Red Bull Ring, the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup takes on its only set of back-to-back race weeks this year with a trip back to the United States and Watkins Glen International. Coverage will kick off on Saturday, April 8 at 18:00 GMT (2PM ET) with the All-Star action, before the pros do battle at 19:00 GMT (3PM ET).
For more information on the 2023 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup season, visit www.iracing.com/pesc. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.