Esports News | Sebastian Job Wins Again in Controversial ESL R1 | GRR
British racer Sebastian Job (G2 Esports) has made it two round wins from two in the ESL R1 2023 Fall Season, although his victory at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps came by way of a controversial post-race stewarding decision.
As usual the event was split over two days, with one driver representative from each team in each of the four knockout races to decide who’d race in the semi-finals. After its remarkable achievement of becoming the first team to get all four cars into a final last time out, Williams saw two of its drivers eliminated as neither Jakub Brzezinski nor Jack Keithley could progress any further.
There were further surprises too as James Baldwin (Mercedes), Moritz Lohner (Mouz), and Kevin Siggy (Redline) were all knocked out at this stage, along with GT World Challenge Asia runner-up Ferris Stanley (BS+). Baldwin was an innocent bystander in a lap one incident that resulted from Yoann Harth (Apex) appearing to push Lohner into the pit wall approaching Eau Rouge, with the German’s Audi spearing across the circuit and taking out the Briton’s Mercedes.
The four race winners were Spring Season champion Marcell Csincsik (R8G), Gamers8 winner Maximilian Benecke (Mouz), Jiri Toman (R8G), and Luke Bennett (Redline) – as the only non-Audi winner. That also meant it was the first time this season that Job failed to win a race, as he came home only fourth in his heat, while regular race-winners Joshua Rogers (Coanda) and Daire McCormack (Williams) also qualified for the semi-final stage.
Benecke took charge of the first semi-final, setting the fastest lap in qualifying to claim pole position before taking a grand slam as he eased to victory over McCormack and Kevin Ellis Jr (Apex). Isaac Price (G2) had initially lined up second on the grid, but fell away throughout the race; he’d finish fifth and still qualify for the final, between the R8G cars of Csincsik and, after a last-lap pass on Dayne Warren (Coanda), Erhan Jajovski.
While Job took pole position in the second semi-final, he was soon passed by Rogers on the run to Les Combes on the opening lap. Rogers would go on to win at a canter, while Job had to fend off Toman as his BMW also tired later in the race. Toman did briefly get ahead of Job, but a last-lap clash between the two saw Job regain second, with Bennett making an opportunistic pass to take third. Thibault Cazaubon followed his R8G team-mate home, ahead of Caique Oliveira (Furia), as the team managed to get all four cars into the final to repeat Williams’ feat in the last round.
The final saw Job claim pole position with a new qualifying record for the circuit, just ahead of Benecke, setting the scene for a titanic scrap over the first few laps. Job seemed to have an answer for Benecke’s attacks each time, but it came to a head on lap four as the Mouz driver finally made a move through Les Combes stick.
Despite taking the chequered flag first though, Benecke was penalised after the race for the incident, with the stewards determining that he’d forced Job off the track in the process and adding three seconds to his race time. That would drop the German to eighth, giving Job a second straight round win ahead of Jajovski and McCormack.
The result sees Job extend his championship lead over McCormack to 26 points, with Csincsik remaining third a further 16 points behind. R8G now leads the teams’ championship, by 101 points from Williams.
ESL R1 Fall Season Round 2 results
1. Sebastian Job (G2 Esports – BMW M4 GT3) – 7 laps
2. Erhan Jajovksi (R8G Esports – Audi R8 GT3 Evo) +0.402
3. Daire McCormack (Williams Esports – Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo) +0.542
Dillan Tan defends GT World Challenge Asia title
Dillan Tan closed out a successful defence of his GT World Challenge Asia title as he claimed a fourth victory in five races – just as he did in 2022.
Tan was already odds-on favourite to take the title with a 27-point advantage going into the final round at Suzuka. This was buoyed by the fact his nearest rival, Ferris Stanley, could only place sixth in qualifying. In fact, Tan had a rare off-day in qualifying too, but would claim second behind Philippa Boquida.
However the defending champion was in no mood to settle and swept round the outside of Boquida to take the lead through turn one. Unlike so many races over the last two years though, Boquida wasn’t letting Tan build his customary lead.
The two leaders clashed around the pit stop period, after Boquida went for a very early stop to attempt an undercut. Tan stopped on the very next lap and came out just in front of the BMW. That resulted in a bumper tap which sent the Mercedes skipping across the infield and rejoining the track unscathed – and still leading.
Only then did Tan stretch his legs, eventually taking the flag by just over four seconds from Boquida who’d secure third in the championship as a result, with Sota Muto taking a second podium finish this season in third.
Russell Reyes would finish second in class to claim the Silver category title, as his nearest remaining rival – Rialto Ristofani – caught a time penalty for a late-race collision, with Daffa Boediharjo taking the class win.
GT World Challenge Asia Round 5 results
1. Dillan Tan (Legion of Racers – Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo) – 30 laps
2. Philippa Boquida (BS+COMPETITION – BMW M4 GT3) +4.404
3. Sota Muto (Williams – Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo) +5.657