The first edition of SimRacing Expo in Frankfurt ended on a record note. From October 16 to 18, hall 12 of Messe Frankfurt attracted 29,580 visitors, according to the organizers. The main sporting story of the show was the in-person Rennsport R1 final, where Porsche Coanda defended its title despite entering the deciding stage three points behind TC Esports.
Dortmund’s move
The exhibition was based in Dortmund and this year’s edition was the first European SimRacing exhibition since the move to Frankfurt. It has also expanded, with more than 14,000 m² dedicated to simulation racing. Porsche, Aston Martin and Mercedes-AMG all brought stands. Around them crowded the manufacturers of simulators, steering wheels, pedals and other gaming equipment.
Car companies seem to take a room like this seriously. A simulator allows those who will probably never get into a real GT3 to experience the car, while cockpit manufacturers simply sell their kit on site. Car manufacturers aren’t the only ones spending advertising money on racing games. In the field of esports, which has long expanded into simulation racing, the logos of bookmakers and online casinos on team jerseys and in broadcasts have become commonplace. Spinlander Casino works with the same audience and has brought it all together on about poker, crash games and classic online slots. None of these advertisements had anything to do with the Rennsport final in Frankfurt, where everything was decided on points and limits of the track.
Three points before the start
The final took place on site, in the exhibition hall, over four races on three tracks. The finalists raced twice at Monza, with Spa and Daytona in between. For a sport that spends most of the season in online lobbies, it’s rare for drivers to sit in cockpits just a few meters apart.
Once the points were recalculated, the six finalists entered the decisive phase almost tied. TC Esports leads Porsche Coanda by only three points. With conditions this tight, a bad qualifying session could shake up the standings.
Even before the start of the first race at Monza, the stewards removed several drivers’ qualifying laps for exceeding track limits. Caique Oliveira took pole. He didn’t get far, colliding with BS+ Competition teammate Robbie Stapleford, and both fell in order after contact. Josh Rogers won the race and Porsche Coanda took a six-point lead.
Spa and Daytona
In the second race, at Spa, Rogers kept Oliveira behind him until the end and Porsche Coanda secured a one-two finish. Monza’s six-point lead now appears to be a fairly comfortable margin.
Daytona came down to Charlie Collins, who won from the pole. TC Esports, who had been in the lead shortly before, entered the fourth race with 19 points in Finalist mode. Three races later, there was nothing left of his three-point advantage (few, it seems, saw it coming before the final).
The decision maker at Monza
The final race brought the finalists back to Monza and Collins took the lead again. This time he had to defend himself. Marcell Csincsik closed within a second and launched into the second chicane. It ended with the Hungarian half-turning, and the pressure on the leader eased.
Collins held on until the end and the Coanda Porsche remained Rennsport R1 champions. For the team, this was what mattered most after these three days in Frankfurt.
What comes next
Frankfurt seems ready to keep the exhibition. The next SimRacing Expo will be held at the same location on September 17 and 18, 2027, one month earlier than this year and one day less. For visitors from Austria and southern Germany, the journey is now significantly shorter than it was to Dortmund.
