The Porsche Esports Supercup is set to make its return for the 2026 season with an exciting new format and top prize: the opportunity for the winner to prove themselves in real-life racing.
This year, the PESC will be even more competitive, as the winner has the opportunity to progress their racing career from the virtual world onto real-world tracks.
With sim racing establishing itself as a credible entry point into professional motorsport - and already used as a valuable tool by racing drivers - the championship will create a new connection between digital competition and real-world racing.
Taking place on iRacing, the season gets underway in April, with the National Championships and the Global Open Qualifiers, followed by the Regional Championships this summer.
From there, 32 drivers will qualify to take part in the Porsche Esports Supercup World Championship series - the pinnacle of the competition.
Five candidates of the 32 will be chosen by Porsche Motorsport to participate in a Talent Shoot-Out in Cologne, with two of them then competing on track.
The winner will become a development prospect, and be given the opportunity to compete in a Porsche One-Make Series in 2027.
The Porsche Esports Supercup qualification process
Across the PESC season there will be four championships on iRacing, beginning with the National Championships.
These are organised by official national Porsche markets, and serve as the first step in the qualification pathway.
This year, the top three drivers from each National Championship, including the Porsche Esports Carrera Cup North America, Great Britain, and the Porsche Esports Endurance Trophy Nürburgring, are eligible to qualify for the Regional Championship.
The Global Open Qualifier (GOQ) is the second stage of the qualification pathway.
After the National Championships, drivers who did not qualify via their national series, or who come from regions without a national championship, can take part in the GOQ to secure a place in the regional championship.
The GOQ consists of four race weeks, starting in May and ending in June. Drivers must hold at least an iRacing Class C sports car license to participate.
The Regional Championships represent the final qualification phase for the Porsche Esports Supercup World Championship.
Drivers who have qualified through one of the previous two routes will be eligible to compete, and each regional championship will consist of five races.
A maximum grid size of 32 drivers per region will take part in the 30-minute races.
The eight drivers with the most points in each regional championship will qualify for the World Championship.
The Porsche Esports Supercup World Championship
The top 32 drivers from the Regional Championships will be eligible to compete in the Porsche Esports Supercup World Championship series.
Typically, an event consists of 1 free practice, 1 qualifying, 1 sprint race, 1 warm-up, and 1 main race. All sessions take place within a single event, starting with free practice and ending with the main race.
Points are awarded for qualifying, the sprint race, and the main race—after any penalties have been applied. The maximum number of points a driver can score is 85.
World Championship schedule:
| Race | Date | Track | Time |
| Race 1 | 19-Sep | Spa-Francorchamps | 15/30 |
| Race 2 | 26-Sep | Silverstone Circuit | 15/30 |
| Race 3 | 3-Oct | Suzuka Circuit | 15/30 |
| Race 4 | 10-Oct | Interlagos | 15/30 |
| Race 5 | 24-Oct | Monza | 15/30 |
In it to win it: The prizes
The Porsche Esports Supercup World Championship distributes a total prize purse of US$30,000, allocated based on final standings.
The winner will take home $10,000, with cash prizes available for other top finishers.
However, new for 2026 is the first-ever integration of the PESC with real-world motorsports.
The focus is a new approach: not only “from sim to track,” but genuine competition under real conditions.
Porsche leverages the strengths of existing programs and extends them into Esports, with the goal of discovering and developing new talent.
Based on the 32 participants in the World Championships, 5 drivers will be selected for a shoot-out and invited to Cologne.
From these five participants, two drivers will be selected, and will go on to compete in real race cars on track.
The winner is ultimately crowned a new development prospect, and will be able to translate their virtual skills to the asphalt for a Porsche Motorsport-supported season in 2027.
To learn more about the Porsche Esports Supercup, visit the series page
