Dario Iemmulo wins on countback
Nürburgring, 31 July 2023 – The European Regional Finals of The Real Race, the official Super Trofeo Esports reached its conclusion at the famed Nürburgring Grand Prix circuit, with 23 sim racers contesting what proved to be an eventful season finale on Assetto Corsa Competizione.
Taking place in the Fanatec Arena during the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe race weekend, a pair of 30-minute sprint races were held across the weekend with Dario Iemmulo emerging as the winner of the regional finals and will now have the chance to become an official factory driver for the Lamborghini Esports team next season.
A total of 23 aspiring professional drivers made it through a rigorous selection process to earn a place in the European Regional Finals this season. Throughout the year, the drivers have had the opportunity to hone their race craft and develop their skills by racing at home on Assetto Corsa Competizione before being invited to the Nürburgring circuit alongside their season-long rivals.
The Real Race - Super Trofeo Esports season kicked off with an intense schedule of qualifying sessions and online knockout races at a virtual Paul Ricard in early May.
The fastest 24 drivers were then invited to take part in an online 60-minute race, at the end of which the top four finishers progressed through to the European Regional Finals. The following event at Monza presented those who finished outside of the top four another chance to qualify for the Finals.
Round 1 | Paul Ricard
Top 4 qualified drivers: Florian Dührkop, Amos Laurito, Simone Seminara, Stefano Bonsignore
The opening round at Paul Ricard began in fine fashion, producing a race with high drama and entertainment throughout the one-hour encounter. Drivers were tested in the high-speed section of the track, notably in the final sector through the Signes/Beausset sequence of corners. Florian Dührkop prevailed in wet conditions, having got the better of Marco Lomi at the halfway point. Dührkop then stretched his legs in the closing stages to claim victory, with Lomi dropping down the order.
Round 2 | Monza
Top 4 qualified drivers: Marco Lomi, Pavlo Polovchuk, Corrado Ciriello, Florian Schießl
Marco Lomi recovered from his opening round disappointment in fine style, converting another Pole Position into a commanding win at the flag, coming home a healthy six seconds ahead of nearest challenged, Pavlo Polovchuk. The fast nature of the Monza circuit, combined with the increasingly limited opportunities for drivers to progress, led to several major incidents that ruled out a number of drivers who would otherwise have expected to run towards the sharp end of the field.
Round 3 | Barcelona
Top 4 qualified drivers; Andrea Miatto, Dario Iemmulo, Michael Romagnoli, Nikodem Sobczyk
The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya delivered one of the most action-packed races of the European series. Andrea Miatto produced a masterclass of speed, precision and skill to take a lights-to-flag victory. Behind Miatto, the main focus of attention was placed on the final qualification spots, with Romagnoli, Sobczyk and Guglielmo Filippi fighting right until the end of the race in a bid to secure their path to the European Regional Finals. Ultimately Filippi fell short and was eliminated.
Round 4 | Spa-Francorchamps
Top 4 qualified drivers: Leonardo Porco, William Pisano, Michele Perrella, Guglielmo Filippi
The final opportunity to secure a place in the European Regional Finals took place at a virtual Spa- Francorchamps, with Italian driver Leonardo Porco soaking up the pressure to come out on top. Proco shadowed early race leader, William Pisano before making an audacious move at Les Combes with 17 minutes remaining to seize the lead.
Along with the qualified drivers from the European series, three wildcard entries were selected from the Abu Dhabi and Dubai Dealer Network, while a further four places remained up-for-grabs via on-site time trial challenges at GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup events (Paul Ricard, Spa-Francorchamps and two at the Nürburgring).
The European Regional Finals
Held inside the dedicated Fanatec Arena, a purpose-built Esports venue in the heart of the GTWC paddock, the European Regional Finals were live streamed on the official Lamborghini Squadra YouTube channel, with all 24 drivers competing on the Assetto Corsa Competizione platform and dedicated sim rigs.
Much like the real-world Lamborghini Super Trofeo Grand Finals, the European Regional Finals adopted a mini championship format, with points for each of the 30-minute races deciding the overall Real Race – Super Trofeo Esports champion. A pair of practice and qualifying sessions contributed to nearly two hours of competitive action for the drivers.
The Regional Finals went down to the final minutes, with Iemmulo coming out on top in a dramatic tiebreaker. Maciej Malinowski took a commanding victory in the opening race, leading from the front of the field in wet conditions. Race two was held in dry conditions, with Iemmulo prevailing. With Malinowski only seventh on the grid for the second race, he had to attack to make progress, but was penalised 10-seconds for avoidable contact. This benefited Iemmulo, who made light work of those in front to back up his fourth place in race one with victory. Malinowski rallied to finish fourth, leaving the pair tied on points. Iemmulo, on the basis on his superior combined qualifying times, emerged as the champion and, with it, now has the opportunity to become a fully-fledged factory driver of Lamborghini’s Esports team.