Sixth Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB season gets underway in style.
Championship returnee William Chadwick from Wigan and newcomer Charlie Collins, the Porsche Coanda Esports Racing works driver from Monmouthshire, drove to wins in the opening races of the new Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB season. Launching his bid for a record fifth title, reigning champion Sebastian Job from East Grinstead in Surrey was never far behind at a digital Donington Park, as he debuted the new 2026 Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing livery.
An equally intriguing Amateur category battle saw Tom Stevens from Bedfordshire open his championship campaign in the best possible way. Stevens emerged with two category wins on the shorter 1.9-mile National circuit, beating several experienced rivals including Christian Szaruta from London and Guy R Edwards from Surrey. With his results from Rounds One and Two, Stevens has established himself as the driver to beat in Am.
Familiar names and exciting newcomers battle in Pro Chadwick had the pace in qualifying and would take the first pole position of the new season, with fellow championship returnee Luke Pennington from Devon sharing the front row of the grid. Chadwick was able to defend his lead when the lights went out for the first time in 2026, holding off Pennington as he tested the outside line through Redgate. Having started in fifth place, Job quickly advanced to third, as he battled former Porsche Esports Sprint Challenge GB champion Matt J Caruana from Berkshire. The fight eventually reached its conclusion with contact – Job secured second and Caruana slipped backwards.
As his rivals diced for position behind, Chadwick was able to build a comfortable lead of 1.7 seconds, and Job gave chase with Collins close behind. With 15 minutes of the race remaining, Collins mounted an attack on Job, forcing the five-time champion to drive defensively in the run down Starkey's Straight. As Job and Collins were slightly wrong footed, the chasing pack was reshuffled. Leo Gariboli from Hertfordshire advanced to third, with Caruana up to fourth, and Collins now relegated to fifth.
In the closing minutes of the race, Caruana dropped back from an intensifying scrap for the podium places, while Collins pushed to gain an overlap in the final corners. As a result of the last lap skirmish, it was Peter Berryman from County Antrim in Northern Ireland who benefitted. Berryman claimed the final podium spot as he crossed the finish line behind a victorious Chadwick, with Job retaining second place at the flag.
Following the race, for incidents in qualifying with Gareth Higgins and James Dennison, Remy Gilbert had 10 seconds added to his accumulated penalty time (APT). Similarly, Leo Brown was handed a five second APT for an incident with Fraser Hart. For contact between Sebastian Job and Charlie Collins, five seconds was added to Job’s Round One time, and this revised the final race order, with Chadwick joined on the virtual podium by Peter Berryman and Leo Gariboli.
Reigning Am category champion Aidan Walsingham from Bath started from reverse grid pole position for Round Two, kick-starting his first Professional category campaign in style. When the lights went out, Walsingham came under immediate pressure from Collins, who had started in second on the grid. Collins wasted no time in snatching the race lead to leave Walsingham and Caruana in his wake. Caruana soon overtook Walsingham to occupy second, as Berryman, Gareth Higgins from Exeter and Job fought just behind. The top five race order was now Collins from Caruana, Walsingham, Higgins and Job.
Halfway through the 25-minute timed race, Job passed Higgins for fourth, and began to close on Caruana and Walsingham as they concentrated on their fight for second. In the closing stages of the race, an intense scrap for sixth developed between Gariboli and Chadwick, and this was reignited with just one minute to go, resulting in contact between the pair at Coppice. At the chequered flag, Collins took victory, finishing an impressive 5.9 seconds clear of Caruana, with Walsingham securing the final podium place on his Pro category debut.
Stevens is the driver to beat in Am Conan Wearn from Norwich secured the two championship points available for the first Amateur category pole position of the 2026 season. Wearn lined up on the grid for the first race at Donington Park just one row ahead of rivals Stevens and Scott Moakes from Bedfordshire. Wearn initially led Stevens from Moakes at the start of Round One, however Moakes soon left the circuit and Stevens advanced to the category lead. This made the new Am category order Stevens from Wearn and Edwards.
In the final 10 minutes of the race, Stevens came under increasing pressure from Wearn, however their positions remained the same to the flag. Just behind, there was a change with Edwards usurped by Kieran Harding from Norfolk in the closing laps of the race and, as a result, Stevens, Wearn and Harding formed the first Am category podium of the year. Stevens was ahead again in the second race of the evening – he led Szaruta and Edwards throughout Round two to underline his dominance and establish an early category championship lead.
Following the opening races of the new season, the championship will visit Snetterton’s longer 300 layout for Rounds Three and Four on 28 January. Keep up to date with Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB news via Instagram and X at @PorscheRaces_GB – users can share experiences via the hashtag #EsportsCarreraCupGB.