Review

After the slipstream battles of Le Mans, the championship arrived at a circuit where precision replaced the need for outright speed. Zandvoort's narrow ribbon of tarmac punished every mistake, and by the end of the night, some drivers took major steps forward, while others were left wondering what could have been.

Woods achieves the clean sweep

Falken Sim Racing’s Damon Woods continued his remarkable 2026 campaign, extending his perfect qualifying and heat race record with yet another pole position and Race 1 victory. The only thing missing from his achievements heading into the round was a feature race win.

Starting the feature from tenth, the tight nature of Zandvoort meant it would be difficult for anyone to make their way to the front – and his rivals ensured it wouldn’t be easy. Woods received rear end damage after contact with Kory Lazarus on the opening lap which led to an excursion through the gravel. Luckily for Woods, he was able to recover and push on making his way methodically through the field. However, he didn’t make it all the way to first place. It would be young charger, Sebastian Eskandari who would take the checkered flag ahead of Woods, however, 25-seconds worth of penalties for the Team MaxBoost driver would relegate him to 26th and hand Woods the feature race victory he had been chasing all season.

The result marked a reversal of fortunes for Woods, who had crossed the line first in the Nürburgring feature race back in Round 3 before a post-race five-second penalty relegated him to third. This time, he was the beneficiary of the stewards' decisions to complete a clean sweep of the round.

Damon Woods claimed his first round sweet at Zandvoort

Team MaxBoost and Automoves Racing left to ponder what could have been

We highlighted Team MaxBoost and Automoves Racing as the series’ biggest underperforming teams after the opening third of the season. At Zandvoort, they looked determined to set the record straight.

Automoves Racing's Hugo Alan continued his resurgence, qualifying as the best of the rest behind Woods before finishing second in Race 1. Teammate Kory Lazarus wasn’t far behind, qualifying and finishing in fourth.

Team MaxBoost also got off to an impressive start with Davison achieving a season best qualifying of sixth and Eskandari not far behind in 14th. Davison’s cruel run of bad luck continued though, ending Race 1 in the gravel at Turn 2 after battling inside the top ten before contact with Hanlin at the back of the field early in Race 2 meant it was a double-DNF. Eskandari, however, was able to survive the Race 1 shenanigans to finish eighth and gain a strong starting position for the feature.

This set the scene for one of the most dramatic races of the season.

The drama began on Lap 2 when Eskandari made an aggressive move for the lead on Vermillion Esports' Ric Kuznetsov into Turn 1. The pair ran side-by-side through Turn 2 and into the Turn 3 banking before contact left Kuznetsov facing the wrong direction and plummeting to 17th. It would prove costly for Eskandari with Race Control deeming him to be at fault and handing the Team MaxBoost driver a 15-second penalty.

But the action didn’t stop there.

Starting ninth, Alan made an impressive start to quickly make his way back to the front of the field hunting down Eskandari. A slowdown penalty briefly halted Alan’s momentum and allowed the MaxBoost driver a small buffer, but a late safety car erased the gap and set up a thrilling finish.

The restart was feisty. Eskandari defended hard forcing Alan to glance the wall on pit straight and inviting Woods into the battle. They were three-wide coming into Turn 1 and by the time they emerged from the Turn 3 banking, Alan had wrestled the lead from Eskandari and Woods was third.

But it was far from over. Two corners later, and Eskandari attempted to re-take the lead from Alan. The ambitious move resulted in contact sending Alan wide and dropping him to sixth. The move earned Eskandari an additional ten-second penalty.

Eskandari would ultimately cross the finish line first but was later classified 26th after accumulating 25-seconds of penalties. Alan’s teammate, Kory Lazarus crossed the line in fifth but also felt the wrath of the stewards, with his opening-lap contact with Woods resulting in a five-second penalty and relegating him to 13th. This meant Alan would ultimately be classified in fourth behind Woods, Wakefield and Bewley.

The field files into Turn 1 on Lap 1

Wakefield finally turns speed into results

There has been plenty to like about OPR x Gammaflare Sim Racing’s start to the season. Mackay and Shepherd have each recorded podium finishes, and Burgess continues to exceed expectations. At Zandvoort, however, it was Reece Wakefield's turn in the spotlight.

Despite establishing himself as one of the championship’s strongest qualifiers (starting every round inside the top ten), Wakefield entered the round 19th in the standings, with only one top ten finish to show for his speed.

Zandvoort changed that.

Another strong qualifying performance laid the foundation before Wakefield executed each race with precision, recording a pair of top ten finishes including a season-best second place in the feature. The result propels him into the championship's top ten and, if he can continue to convert his qualifying speed into race results, expect him to move even further forward.

Reece Wakefield stood out for OPR x Gammaflare at Zandvoort

A mixed night for Momentum as Bewley returns to the podium at the expense of his teammate

Tom Bewley continues to prove himself as one of the championship's most consistent performers, although things might be a bit tense in the Momentum Racing garage after Zandvoort. Bewley was trailing teammate, Jack Widdas, in third and fourth in the heat race before contact at Turn 3 sent Widdas spinning and re-joining at the rear of the field. With no penalty forthcoming, Bewley looked set to secure a podium before a late mistake dropped him to 12th.

Bewley made up for the error forging his way through the field in the feature to secure a podium finish - his first since the opening race of the series.

Widdas’ fortunes didn’t improve in the feature, with contact ending his night on Lap 1. Fellow Momentum stablemate, Gilchrist, endured an even tougher night, struggling to 36th in qualifying before suffering a pair of DNFs to leave Zandvoort without adding to his championship point tally.

Both Widdas and Gilchrist entered Zandvoort inside the championship's top ten but leave the round on the edge of the top 20, falling to 18th and 19th respectively. Conversely, Bewley climbs to ninth - a position that arguably undersells the season he is having considering he missed the Round 2 event at Spa. Had he competed across the full calendar, he would likely be firmly in the battle for best-of-the-rest honours behind Woods.

Tom Bewley securing another Podium finish

Eclipse’s title hopes take a heavy hit

Pressure was on Eclipse Simsports heading into Round 5. Rattray-White arrived 88-points adrift of Woods while Byron Pearce needed a response after a disappointing round last time out at Le Mans dropped him outside the top ten in the standings.

Unfortunately, the night could not have gone much worse.

The problems began during qualifying when Rattray-White suffered hardware issues, causing him to crash and begin Race 1 from 18th.

Despite the setback, he produced an impressive recovery drive and looked set to secure a valuable top ten finish before disaster struck at Zandvoort’s infamous Turn 3 banking. A four-way battle inside the top ten descended into chaos when Wakefield and Davison came together at Turn 2, sending Davison into the gravel and opening the door for Rattray-White. Contact in Turn 3 sent the Eclipse driver into the outside barrier. He was fortunate to continue, but the damage compromised his pace and dashed any chance of getting back inside the top ten - he would finish one place shy of the invert pole in 11th.

The feature race followed a painfully similar script.

Another strong start saw Rattray-White quickly move forward and find himself battling for the podium. However, with ten laps remaining hardware issues would strike again, sending him into the wall and leaving him with significant damage. His night came to an end soon-after when he collided with Zachary Hanlin. He slips to fourth in the standings, now 244 points behind Woods.

The disappointment extended across the Eclipse garage. After securing a podium in the heat race, Pearce looked on-track to bounce back from his difficult Le Mans round. However, he too appeared to suffer a hardware failure in the opening laps of the feature race relegating him to 33rd. Things got worse on lap 13 as Pearce was making his way back through the field when he collided with teammate Hayden Veld. Pearce would finish 28th while Veld recovered to 17th.

For a team pushing to close the gap to Woods, Zandvoort provided a significant dent to their title aspirations.

Rattray-White gets rotated at Turn 3

Eclipse’s pain is Vermillion’s gain

Zandvoort will go down as a case of what could have been for Ric Kuznetsov. He secured a front-row start for the feature after finishing the heat in ninth and would lead the first lap before the contact with Eskandari on Lap 2 dashed any chances of a repeat of his feature race heroics at Hockenheim. However, when the dust settled, it was still a successful night for the Vermillion Esports stable.

Kuznetsov and Kerr strengthened their championship credentials, with both drivers recording a pair of top ten finishes to move into second and third in the standings respectively.

The round also produced encouraging results further down the stable. Tyce Hodge recorded his best result of the season with an eighth-place finish in the feature, while Varndell produced one of the drives of the night, gaining 24 positions to climb from 36th to 12th in the feature.

However, it wasn’t positive for all their championship contenders. After failing to score a point at Le Mans, Antal Sabo’s difficult run continued with another scoreless round, dropping him to 22nd in the standings. He’ll need to stop the bleeding and return to form at the Red Bull Ring.

Turn 3 was a hotspot for action and incidents all night

Looking ahead

Woods leaves Zandvoort with one hand firmly on the championship title, holding a commanding 204-point lead. Even with more than half the season still to run, it is becoming increasingly difficult to see anyone stopping him.

However, Zandvoort showed that the list of drivers capable of challenging for race wins is growing by the round. Vermillion have edged passed Eclipse as best of the rest, Team MaxBoost and Automoves Racing showed that despite their challenging starts to the season they are well and truly on the up, OPR continues to demonstrate the depth of its roster, and Momentum Racing showed it has the speed to remain firmly in the conversation.

With the calendar now shifting into a relentless run of fortnightly events, there will be little time to regroup. Round 6 at the Red Bull Ring on July 29 marks the halfway point of the championship - and after the twists and turns of Zandvoort, the season feels poised for even more drama.

Published on

by Sam Muir

Bathurst week — the biggest week on the Australian sim racing calendar — where Australia’s Pro Porsche and Pro Supercars series converged on the Mountain. Not every driver competes in both, but for those who do, the week offered something unprecedented: the chance to win at Bathurst in two completely different cars, in two elite series, within the same week. It was an opportunity to make history. And by Sunday night, one driver had written a chapter that will be remembered long after the Mountain falls silent.

But before the Supercars took centre stage, the Porsches lit the fuse. What followed was a night full of tension, aggression and drama. Across both races, rival teams kept finding each other at the same spot on the circuit, and the Mountain made sure every incident had massive consequences.

King of the virtual Mountain? Woods makes his case

It was a week to remember for Damon Woods. It all began on Wednesday night in the Porsches where he returned to pole position — his sixth from seven rounds — and immediately converted it into his eighth race victory of the season in the opening seven-lap dash. His second place in the feature was enough to secure another round win, extending a season of relentless dominance and stretching his advantage over Rattray‑White to 244 points.

But Bathurst week didn’t end with Porsche supremacy. On Sunday, Woods climbed the Mountain again — this time in the V8PRO Series — and was crowned the Bathurst 1000 champion. It completed a remarkable double: victories at Bathurst in two of Australia’s elite sim racing categories within the same week.

Add his win at this year’s Oceanic Sim Racing (OSR) Bathurst 12 Hour in the GT3, and Woods’ 2026 Bathurst resume becomes something unmatched. Three major Bathurst victories, across three different disciplines, in a single calendar year. Peter Brock was the King of the Mountain — Woods may be defining what that title means in the sim racing world.

Is Damon Woods the King of the Virtual Mountain?

Rattray-White grabs another win to stay in touch

Zach Rattray‑White entered Bathurst sitting second in the standings — more than 200 points behind Woods, but only six clear of Vermillion Esports duo Ric Kuznetsov and Zak Kerr. His night didn’t begin the way he would’ve hoped, but it ended with exactly what he needed.

Starting third in Race 1, Rattray‑White launched an ambitious move around the outside of OPR x Gammaflare Sim Racing’s Reece Wakefield at Turn 2 on the opening lap. The two made contact, sending the Eclipse car wide and dropping him to fourth. It was the opening act of a Turn 2 saga that would define the night for these two teams.

A similar attempt on another OPR car, this time Dean Mackay, at the Cutting on Lap 4 saw the rear step out on exit — a superb save kept the car out of the wall, but he still slipped to fifth.

Then came the moment where the drama threatened to explode. On Lap 5, in a bid to reclaim fourth from Kuznetsov, Rattray‑White tapped the Vermillion car under brakes at the Chase, sending Ric off the road. He redressed the position, but not before teammate Marino Morella slipped past under the bridge. The trio narrowly avoided a modern-day replay of the infamous Whincup redress / McLaughlin re‑join incident from 2016, with Rattray‑White ultimately crossing the line in sixth.

But that result came with one crucial upside: it handed Rattray-White the upper hand for the reverse‑grid feature. The Eclipse Simsports driver charged to the front by the end of Lap 6 and never looked back, securing his fifth victory of the season and keeping his championship hopes alive.

Zach Rattray-White descends through Forest Elbow

Not all roses for Eclipse

Morella stormed through the field in the opening seven-lap dash moving from tenth to fifth. However, the feature race did not go as well.

And once again it was an Eclipse car, an OPR car, and Turn 2.

After passing OPR’s Dylan Shepherd at Hell Corner, Shepherd attempted to immediately regain the position with a late lunge at Turn 2. He made it only as far as Morella’s rear bumper though, sending the Eclipse Simsports Porsche into the outside wall. Morella was able to continue to salvage some points, finishing in 28th, while Shepherd was given a post-race 30-second penalty for the collision.

It was an eerily similar tale for Morella’s teammate Seth Brown. Starting the feature from 11th, Brown would move inside the top 10 before also coming to grief at Turn 2 in another collision with an OPR car - this time it was Dean Mackay. Brown tried to continue but only made it as far as Reid Park before contact with wildcard Cameron McLeod triggered a heavy crash at the top of the Mountain and dealt Brown his first DNF of the season.

The poor night leaves Morella and Brown more than 150 points behind their teammate Rattray-White in the battle for second.

Seth Brown and Cam McLeod make contact at Reid Park

Vermillion’s fight for second takes a twist

Vermillion Esports’ pair Zak Kerr and Ric Kuznetsov arrived at Bathurst level on points - they leave the Mountain separated by over 100 points.

The night started well enough for Kuznetsov, recording a season-best fifth in qualifying and following it up in Race 1 with his first top-five finish since his victory at Hockenheim at the beginning of the season. However, it was all downhill from there.

And once again, Turn 2 and an OPR car were at the centre of the drama.

On Lap 2, Kuznetsov was defending from OPR’s Reece Wakefield before he was judged to have moved under braking, leaving Wakefield with nowhere to go but straight into the back of the Vermillion Esports Porsche. The resulting contact sent Kuznetsov hard into the Turn 2 barriers and handed him his first DNF of the season.

Kerr, meanwhile, enjoyed a far more productive evening. Crossing the line tenth in the opening race meant he would start from pole position for the feature — and he made full use of it — leading the opening five laps before settling for third. It was his second podium of the campaign and enough to keep him within striking distance of second in the championship, while opening a significant gap over his teammate.

Further down the Vermillion stable, Tyce Hodge continued his impressive rise with a season‑best fourth in the feature, extending his streak to six consecutive top‑ten finishes. Jacob O’Reilly also enjoyed a breakthrough evening, scoring his first top‑ten of the season with ninth in the feature.

Jacob O'Reilly exits the chase

OPR’s inside line at the championship’s pressure point

If Bathurst had a recurring storyline, OPR’s involvement in the Turn 2 drama was unquestionably it. Across both races, the same pattern kept emerging: an OPR car on the inside, a rival car on the outside, and contact at Turn 2. In Race 1 it was Wakefield and Rattray‑White and in Race 2 it was Wakefield and Kuznetsov, Mackay and Brown, Shepherd and Morella.

Four incidents. One corner. And, in every case, an OPR car on the inside. Coincidence? Perhaps. But there was method to the madness.

At this level, every driver knows the outside at Turn 2 is the danger zone — the camber and the narrow exit all favour the car hugging the inside. OPR seemed intent on exploiting that knowledge, repeatedly putting their cars in the one piece of real estate where Bathurst offers the most protection.

But when OPR cars stay protected on the inside and their rivals keep paying the price, the pattern naturally invites scrutiny. Were OPR enforcing the reality of Turn 2, or were their rivals daring the Mountain to bite? According to race control, the answer was a little of both.

Of the four incidents at Turn 2, only one was deemed the fault of an OPR car. Wakefield’s clashes were both deemed no further action, as was Mackay’s contact with Brown. The only Turn 2 penalty issued was for Shepherd’s move on Morella — and unfortunately for Shepherd, it wasn’t his only sanction of the night. Contact with Vermillion’s Lewis Greathead at Forrest’s Elbow in Race 1 earned him a five‑second penalty, pushing him over the first licence‑point threshold. As a result, he’ll start rear‑of‑grid next round at Phillip Island.

But OPR’s night wasn’t defined solely by controversy.

Reece Wakefield delivered one of his strongest rounds of the season. He extended his remarkable qualifying streak — starting inside the top ten at every round — with his first front‑row start of 2026. He converted that into second place in Race 1, his second podium of the campaign, before finishing fifth in the feature. The results put him back within reach of the championship top ten.

Teammate Stef McCartin produced one of the drives of the night in the feature. After a DNF in Race 1, McCartin faced the daunting task of starting at the very rear of the field for the feature race. Instead of letting the disappointment define his round, he charged forward to finish 12th, gaining 21 positions in the process.

Dylan Shepherd attacks the top of the Mountain

From the Mountain to the Island

Bathurst week delivered everything we’ve come to expect from the Mountain — history‑making brilliance at the front, bitter rivalries behind, and a single corner that defined the fortunes for many. Damon Woods reached the highest of highs, conquering the Mountain twice in a single week, while the tensions in the battle behind reached a tipping point.

Eclipse leave Bathurst bruised and with scores to settle, Vermillion leave with their title hopes split between triumph and trouble, and OPR leave carrying a spotlight they never asked for but couldn’t avoid.

And now the field has barely two weeks to reset before Phillip Island demands a completely different kind of precision. The Island is fast, flowing, and merciless in its own way. It’s a circuit that strips away excuses, magnifies confidence, and will undoubtedly clarify who’s truly in the fight and who’s just hanging on.

Bathurst opened some wounds - Phillip Island will test how deep they really go.

Published on

by Sam Muir

Austria's Red Bull Ring played host to the first Super Sprint format of the inaugural Moza Porsche Pro Invitational Series. With three sprint races and wet weather in the mix, the ingredients were there for an unpredictable evening.

Instead, by night's end, the podium had become the exclusive domain of just three drivers who also delivered one of the races of the season. Zach Rattray-White returned with a vengeance after his Zandvoort tribulations, Damon Woods continued his relentless championship charge, and Hugo Allan confirmed his resurgence with another impressive display.

Rattray-White bounces back

After seeing his championship challenge derailed by hardware gremlins at Zandvoort, Rattray-White produced the near-perfect response in Austria. The Eclipse Simsports driver became the first competitor all season to deny Woods pole position before converting that pace into victories in the opening two races. Although he was denied a clean sweep, settling for second in the final race of the night, the round served as a timely reminder of exactly who is Woods' biggest threat in the battle for the inaugural title.

Elsewhere in the Eclipse stable, Seth Brown also had a successful night. He would finish all three races inside the top 10, including a season best result of fifth in Race 2. The result strengthens his foothold in the championship standings residing just outside the top 5 in sixth

Rattray-White Claimed Pole Position and two Race Wins at Red Bull Ring

Some streaks may end, but Woods’ grip on the season shows no sign of loosening

Falken Sim Racing’s Damon Woods' perfect pole position record may have come to an end at the Red Bull Ring, but the championship leader quickly proved he didn’t need to start from the front. Starting Race 1 from fourth position, Woods got a fantastic launch off the line to surge to second by the exit of Turn 1 and when Rattray-White ran wide on the exit of the final corner, Woods would cross the line at the end of lap 1 in first place. A small mistake on lap 5 would hand the advantage back to Rattray-White and from there, Woods seemed content to bank the points, settling for second in the opening two races before charging through the field in Race 3 to claim his seventh race victory of the campaign.

That victory, however, was anything but straightforward. The Race 3 battle between Woods, Rattray-White and Allan was one of the highlights of the season so far - a relentless, wheel-to-wheel fight that showcased exactly what this series can deliver - it was must-watch sim racing. With three of Oceania’s best racers trading blows, the result was far from guaranteed, but Woods once again found a way to come out on top. His seventh victory of the campaign means his other incredible streak is still alive: at least one race win at every round so far.

Allan’s resurgence continues

Rounding out the podium in all three races was Automoves Racing’s Hugo Allan. After enduring a challenging start to his campaign, it seems that Allan has found the secret spices required to succeed in this series. Although too much damage has likely been done to his title chances, his recent form indicates that he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the second half of the season.

But while Allan's side of the garage is riding the crest of a wave, the same cannot be said for teammate Kory Lazarus. The evening began with plenty of promise as Lazarus mastered the damp track conditions to secure his first front-row start of the season. Unfortunately, it quickly unravelled. A spin on lap 2 of Race 1 ended his charge before it had truly begun, contact with Simon Mezzomo in Race 2 resulted in a penalty, and another spin exiting the final corner in Race 3 ended his night altogether. Another disappointing night leaves one of the region’s best Porsche Cup drivers stranded outside the top 30 in the standings, and in desperate need of a clean second half of the season if he’s to salvage anything from 2026.

Woods follows Rattray-White into Turn 3 on the opening lap of Race 1

Rain, hail or shine - Vermillion keep delivering results

No team continues to bank points as consistently as Vermillion Esports. Kerr’s remarkable run of form continues, securing another three top 10 finishes to keep him firmly in contention. Similarly, Kuznetsov recorded a pair of top 10s and watch out for stablemate Tyce Hodge. After a breakthrough top 10 last round, Hodge carried that momentum into Austria to record a trio of top 10 finishes.

Vermillion proved that no matter the conditions, they have what it takes to keep banking points - and in a season this volatile, that reliability may be their biggest advantage.

Bewley’s back-to-back barnstormers

Momentum Racing’s Tom Bewley didn’t just produce one of the drives of the season — he delivered two. In Race 2, starting from 25th on the grid, undeterred by the wet conditions, he bulldozed his way forward, gaining eleven places in the opening two laps before securing an impressive seventh‑place finish. And if that wasn’t enough, he went two better in Race 3. Starting 25th again, this time in the dry, Bewley unleashed another blistering charge, this time only needing one lap to gain eleven positions on his way to a remarkable fifth.

His stablemate Brock Gilchrist also enjoyed a strong night, bouncing back from a disappointing Zandvoort round with two top‑10 finishes — capped by a season‑best fourth in the finale to get his campaign firmly back on track.

Contact in the Mid-Field causes chaos

Season best outings for solo duo Lawrance and Lawford

Qualifying has been Lawarnce’s Achilles heel so far this season with a best starting position of 35th across the opening five rounds. A little bit of water was all he needed to flip the script. Lawrance appeared to thrive in the damp conditions securing a sixth place starting spot for Race 1. The Impact Simsports driver proved he has the pace to mix it with the front runners when given track position, ending the round with a trio of top-15 finishes.

Angus Lawford enjoyed a similar breakthrough. After failing to qualify higher than 22nd all season, the Project XXXVI driver also capitalised in the wet conditions to record a season-best ninth on the grid. After two top 10 results in the opening races, he looked set to complete the hat-trick before a spin midway through the finale dropped him to 20th.

Be sure to keep an eye on this pair should the series encounter any further wet weather between now and the end of the season.

Horror night for OPR

Few teams arrived in Austria with more momentum than OPR x Gammaflare Sim Racing. Multiple podium finishes from multiple drivers across recent rounds had the squad seemingly poised to claim its maiden series victory. Instead, the Red Bull Ring dealt a major blow to its campaign.

The night began brightly, with Wakefield extending his perfect top-10 qualifying record (10th) while McCartin (8th), Burgess (11th) and Ellis (12th) all recorded season-best grid positions in the tricky wet conditions. But the optimism quickly evaporated. Contact, spins, penalties and retirements plagued the team throughout the evening, with nearly every driver enduring a round to forget.

The lone bright light came from Burgess, who quietly pieced together one of the cleanest rounds of the night with a trio of top 15 finishes. His strong points haul lifts him back inside the championship's top 10 and gives OPR at least one positive to take away from an otherwise forgettable evening.

OPR Team cars find the fence on the main straight in a tough night for the team

Disaster strikes again at Team MaxBoost

Kane Rider was another driver who took advantage of the wet conditions to produce a season-best qualifying effort, starting 15th, with teammate Davison close behind in 18th. Sadly, that was the highlight of their evenings. Davison retired from Race 1—his sixth DNF from 11 starts this season, the most of any driver—before Rider joined him on the sidelines in Race 2 with his third retirement of the campaign (from nine starts).

For a team capable of far more than the standings suggest, survival remains the missing ingredient. The upcoming shift to Australian soil now looms as a crucial opportunity to steady the season before it slips away entirely.

Fear the rear-of-grid penalty

Driving standards have been under the microscope all season, and Austria showed exactly why avoiding licence point penalties matters. Five drivers were relegated to the rear of the grid for Race 1, and for most, it proved a mountain too steep to climb. Pearce, Purwien, Hanlin and Widdas all struggled to recover, with none managing to salvage a meaningful result across the three races. The lone exception was Lachie Caple.

The Logitech G ODBM driver carved his way through the field to finish 16th in Race 1 before delivering his team’s maiden top-10 finish of the season with ninth place in Race 2.

If Austria showed anything, it’s that licence points and championship points are inseparable. Burn through the former, and you’ll spend the next round watching the latter slip away.

The MOZA Racing Porsche Safety Car leads the field

Six rounds down, six remain to determine the champion

For much of the opening half of the campaign, the field has struggled to find its rhythm, with safety cars and penalties often masking the true potential of the series. But Race 3 at the Red Bull Ring felt different. The battle between Woods, Rattray‑White and Allan was the kind of clean, hard, world‑class racing this championship has been threatening to deliver. 

If Austria was the turning point, the second half of the season could be something special. Woods remains the benchmark, but the challengers are closing in—and with battles like this becoming the new standard, the fight for the inaugural Moza Porsche Pro Invitational Series title may only just be beginning.

Published on

by Sam Muir

With four rounds of the inaugural MOZA Porsche Pro Invitational Series complete, we've reached the first third mark of the season. While there's still a long way to go, there's now enough racing behind us to separate the early championship contenders from those with work to do.

The man to beat

With four pole positions from four attempts, four heat race victories and four feature race podiums, Damon Woods could hardly have had a stronger start to the campaign for Falken Sim Racing. His remarkable speed has earned him an 88-point championship lead and established him as the driver to beat in the fight for the inaugural title.

Woods (790 points) has demonstrated the complete package. His qualifying pace has been untouchable, he's converted every pole into a heat race victory, and his racecraft has been equally impressive as he's carved through inverted grids to reach the feature race podium at every round so far. If this form continues, he'll be incredibly difficult to stop. However, several rivals have already denied him a victory in a feature race, proving the championship is far from over.

The contenders

The biggest threats to Woods currently come from the Eclipse and Vermillion camps.

For Eclipse Simsports, Rattray-White (2nd; 702 points), Morella (5th; 599 points) and Brown (6th; 555 points) have all enjoyed strong starts to the season. Rattray-White sits second overall, 88 points behind Woods but with a healthy 67-point buffer back to third. His standout performances came with feature race victories at Spa and Le Mans, but a costly mistake on the final lap at Nürburgring Grand Prix in Round 3 saw him throw away a podium finish - his only result outside the top five all season. If he can eliminate those rare errors, he'll remain Woods' closest challenger for the title.

Vermillion Esports’ Kuznetsov (635 points) and Kerr (609 points) occupy third and fourth respectively. Kuznetsov announced himself immediately with a feature race victory at Hockenheim in Round 1 and, while he hasn't returned to the podium since, a string of top-10 finishes has kept him firmly in championship contention.

Damon Woods has dominated the start of the season

Don’t rule out OPR just yet

OPR x Gammaflare Sim Racing drivers Mackay (543 points) and Shepherd (525 points) currently sit seventh and eighth in the standings. Mackay's season has been one of untapped potential. His qualifying performances have consistently shown he possesses championship-winning pace, having started each race inside the top eight.

Unfortunately, converting that speed into results has proven far more difficult. A DNF in the opening heat race at Hockenheim left him starting from the rear for the feature, eventually recovering to 24th. His championship took another blow in Round 3 at the Nürburgring GP where he was the victim of the aforementioned collision with fellow contender Rattray-White, turning a potential victory into a disappointing 21st place finish. Despite these setbacks, podium finishes in the heat races at Spa and LeMans and top 10 results in the respective feature races prove that if he can avoid the carnage, Mackay will climb his way closer to the front of the standings.

Wildcards make their mark

The remaining top-10 positions are occupied by wildcard entrants Brock Gilchrist (9th; 494 points) and Jack Widdas (10th; 494 points), with both drivers proving themselves worthy of their invitations. Gilchrist has impressed through sheer consistency, while Widdas has shown genuine front-running pace and looks more than capable of claiming a race victory before the season concludes.

Exceeding expectations

Myles Burgess sits just outside the top 10 in 11th (494 points). It's been an outstanding start for a driver who initially missed the pre-qualifying cut-off. Burgess has comfortably exceeded expectations and has shown he belongs among the Pro field, particularly in Round 2 at Spa where he crossed the line of the heat race in 10th and held his nerve starting off the pole for the feature to secure an 11th place finish and a significant haul of championship points.

Marino Morella chases Myles Burgess through Eau Rouge and Raidillon

Falling short of expectations

Pre-qualifying suggested Team MaxBoost would be one of the teams to watch this season. Eskandari (4th fastest in pre-qualifying), Adams (7th), Rider (14th) and Davison (19th) all entered the championship with genuine expectations of fighting near the front. Instead, the team has endured a disappointing opening quarter.

Eskandari is currently the highest-ranked MaxBoost driver in 33rd (260 points from 3 rounds), followed by Adams (35th; 247 points from 2 rounds), Rider (45th; 124 points from 3 rounds) and Davison (48th; 77 points from 3 rounds). While each driver has missed at least one round, their performances when they have competed suggest their championship positions would not be dramatically different with only Eskandari and Adams managing a top-10 finish so far. The team will be out to reverse the form of the opening quarter and rediscover the pace they displayed in pre-qualifying.

Team MaxBoost aren't alone in underperforming. Automoves Racing Team has also endured a disappointing start. Allan (28th; 312 points) and Lazarus (40th; 200 points from 3 rounds) have both shown flashes of impressive qualifying pace but have repeatedly failed to convert that speed into race results. Despite their difficult start, writing either driver off would be a mistake with both drivers recently qualifying for the iRacing Porsche Esports Supercup Regional Finals. On the back of strong performances outside this series, confidence between the drivers will be high, so expect both to begin climbing the standings as the season progresses.

Looking ahead

The championship now heads from the long straights and slipstream battles of Le Mans to the narrow, technical challenge of Zandvoort (July 15) before concluding the European leg of the calendar at the Red Bull Ring (July 28).

The contrast couldn't be greater. After the high-speed nature of Le Mans, Zandvoort's flowing corners, heavy banking and limited overtaking opportunities will place an even greater emphasis on qualifying and racecraft. With 45 cars tackling one of the calendar's narrowest circuits, expect another dramatic chapter in what has already been an enthralling inaugural season of the MOZA Porsche Pro Invitational Series.

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by Sam Muir