2024 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Race Preview: Imola

Only two rounds remain on the 2024 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup schedule, and both races are set to take place in Italy. First up, it’s a return trip to the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, better known as Imola. This Saturday, 30 of the highest-rated sports car iRacers in the world will take on the 3.05-mile venue in the usual Sprint and Feature race format. Sebastian Job continues to lead the way in the championship, but Diogo Pinto has closed the gap to 25 points after Austria.

Live streaming of the events begins on Saturday, March 30th, at 18:00 GMT (2PM ET) via Porsche’s channels on YouTube and Twitch with the All-Star series up first. The pros take off one hour afterwards, at 19:00 GMT (3PM ET).

Last Race: Two weeks ago, the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup took on the Red Bull Ring for the fifth event of the season. Job struggled in qualifying, but made his way up into an invert position by the end of the Sprint race, won by Alejandro Sanchez. Sam Kuitert led the way in the Feature, but eventually Yohann Harth, then Zac Campbell took over the top spot. Job moved into a podium position, methodically moving through the field in the first half. He then took the lead with a handful of laps remaining, taking the Feature win. His closest championship competitor, Pinto, took second in both the Sprint and Feature, closing the points gap to 25 with two races to go.

Last Season: Imola hasn’t been seen on the Porsche TAG Heuer Esports schedule since 2021. On that day, Job scored the Sprint victory while eventual champion Joshua Rogers claimed the Feature win. In the 2023 season, the penultimate round fell to Le Mans, where the championship battle hit a boiling point. Both Jordan Caruso and Job tangled on the final lap of the Feature, setting the championship battle up for one more week of competition for Caruso, who eventually claimed it at Monza.

Track Facts: The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari, commonly referred to as Imola, is located 50 miles east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello. Imola is considered Ferrari’s home circuit and has hosted the Italian Grand Prix and, more often, the San Marino Grand Prix as well as numerous top level sports car, motorcycle, and bicycling events. Constructed in 1953, Imola is one of a very few international circuits run in a counterclockwise direction. Imola retained its original configuration until 1972 when a series of chicanes were added in order to improve safety. The track has since undergone frequent and regular updates and now features a challenging mix of straightaways, high speed curves, medium and slow chicanes in its 17-corner layout.

Next Up: After Imola, the final Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup event will commence in just a week’s time, on April 6th, as a champion is crowned at Monza. Last season, Jordan Caruso sealed his title with a Sprint race victory as Gustavo Ariel collected the final Feature win of the 2023 season. The battle concludes starting at 18:00 GMT (2PM ET) via Porsche’s channels on YouTube and Twitch with All-Stars on tap first. The Supercup races start one hour afterwards, at 19:00 GMT (3PM ET).

For more information on the 2024 Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup season, visit www.iracing.com/pesc. For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.

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