The Gran Turismo World Series excited fans again with an amazing Round 3 in Tokyo. This drivers showed great skill and sportsmanship at this esports event. Top drivers from many places drove their virtual cars hard, showing incredible moves and close finishes on the playstation.
The Tokyo round was not just about going fast. It also needed smart thinking. The tough virtual tracks required careful precision, smart strategies, and the ability to change quickly to earn important championship points. This event proved how Gran Turismo stays strong and shows its top spot in virtual motorsport.
GTWS Manufacturers Cup in Asia
The Manufacturers Cup is an exciting event where esports drivers represent top car brands from around the world. Drivers gain points for their brand based on their performance in a series of races. These points help shape a global manufacturer ranking. This adds an exciting and prestigious element to the competition.
What is the mode?
The path to the Manufacturers Cup final starts with the round of the online qualifiers. Here, hopeful drivers compete in time trials and races. They try to achieve fast times and land a spot on a car brand’s team. These online qualifiers are a chance for drivers to show their speed, consistency, and skills in racing.
Only the best drivers get the chance to represent their chosen brand in the World Series. This shows their skill in driving and their commitment to the Gran Turismo World Series. 12 Teams of 3 Drivers (1 from each Region: Americas, EMEA, Asia Oceania) compete against each other. One driver per team races in each of the 3 races. 2 Races already happened earlier this year (EMEA and Americas region). The event consists of 1 attack lap which determines the grid position for the final race. The Top 6 teams will earn world series points for the point rankings.
Combined with the points from the previous live events in Montreal and Prague these will result in the standings going into the World Finals in Amsterdam. Currently, Porsche is leading with 9 points, followed by Lexus with 7 and Ferrari with 6 points. Most drivers for this race are on homeground, with only 2 brazilian driver in A. Mosso and L. Bonelli (both from Brazil) not being japanese.
Lexus dominance in Tokyo
Qualifiying
S. Sato in the Audi started the Session with a 2:00.176 lap, but T. Miyazono in the Subaru was able to beat him with the first time below the 2 min mark. And this lap was holding until the 11th driver on the grid, Kanata Kawakami in the Lexus, who beat Miyazono by one and a half tenth of a second to win the Qualifiying. This means Lexus are in prime position to take over the gran turismo world series top position from Porsche, who are starting at the back of the grid.
Manufacturers Cup Race
22 laps around the Mount Panorama Circuit in the third race of the Manufacturer’s Cup in Japan began with a rolling start. Kawakami was the only driver on soft tires, trying to take advantage of his pole position and create a gap early on. And the plan worked. 4 seconds was the gap after only 1 lap. The Lexus driver really wore his tires out and stayed out for six rounds. S. Nabetani in the Honda then took over the lead, he was still on the medium from the start. Ultimately, Nabetani came to the box in Round 11 and gave the lead back to Lexus of Kawakami. This lasted until Round 16, where Kawakami needed to pit for the hard tires. Nabetani got the lead back, but still needed to pit one more time. Silent but steadily, Subaru driver T. Miyazone put himself into a great position. At Round 16, he was only 5 seconds behind Kawakami but on the faster medium tyres. Will he be able to close the gap to the race favorite? Lap after lap, the gap became smaller. In the end, it was enough for Lexus and the team managed to get their second win of the season, taking over the lead in the championship as well. Miyazono was second, defending his position against S. Suzuki in the BMW, who came close in the last laps on soft tyres.
Lexus now goes into the Grand Final with a lead. Porsche and Ferrari both disappointed with 0 points. BMW and Mazda took advantage and overtook Ferrari in the standings. Exciting days await us in early december, when the final will take place in Amsterdam.
GTWS Nations Cup
The Nations Cup in the Gran Turismo World Series is a well-known event where esports racers show their skills for their countries. Drivers work hard to make their nation proud and aim for the highest individual ranking. They earn Gran Turismo World Series points based on how well they perform in races, which helps their standings. The Nations Cup highlights the spirit of global competition in esports. It allows drivers from many parts of the world to display their talent and represent their countries proudly. This event connects fans and drivers through their love for motorsport, regardless of where they come from.
What is the mode?
The third race of the Nations Cup 2024 also took place this week in Tokyo. 2 events already happened this year, with C. López leading the standings after 2 third place finishes. The winner of Prague, Valerio Gallo is currently second and the winner of the first race of the year, Takuma Miyazono is in third place in the Gran Turismo World Series Rankings. 12 drivers in total are participating in the cup and will have 1 attack lap to determine the grid order of the Sprint Race. The results of the sprint races then determine the grid order of the grand final of the Tokyo Event. Like in the manufacturer’s cup, the Top 6 will be awarded championship points.
0.003 seconds between pole and second
Qualifying
The fastest lap in the time attack came from T. Miyazono, who was 0.041 seconds faster than his fellow japanese T. Sasaki. Will the two Japanese drivers dominate on their home track?
Sprint Race
The sprint race is a 10 lap race on the Tokyo Expressway in Production Cars with over 1.000 hp.
The slipstream can be your biggest friend and it took Sasaki only 2 laps to overtake Miyazono using it. Championship leader López was able to keep touch with the leading group in the beginning but fell back after an accident in lap 3, which even brought him a penalty. In the following laps, Miyazono and Sasaki were trading places back and forth in a close fight. From behind, Gallo was able to come up and in the 9th lap he even managed to take the lead. It came down to the very last moment, where Miyazono was able to win the Sprint Race by 0.003 seconds. C. López only came in 11th and will have a hard time maintaining his lead in the championship.
Who will be leading the standings going into the finals in December?
The main race will be 27 laps on the Grand Valley – Highway 1. All participants will drive the Red Bull X2019 Competition.
After the sprint race, Miyazono and Gallo were the favorites. Or will López manage to make the miracle happen and win from 11th place? Like in the manufacturer’s cup, the pole position was the only one on soft tyres to create a gap early on. Most cars in the back started on the hard tyres to fulfill the tire requirements and immediately changed to the mediums. After 5 laps, Miyazono managed to open a gap of more than 5 seconds. He was really pushing it, and in lap 6 unfortunately too much. He received a 1 second penalty because of track limits. Will that mistake cost him in the end?
Miyazono came into the box in lap 8 and gave the lead over to T. Sasaki. His fellow countrymen started on the mediums and was in a fight with Gallo and C. Roach for the top position now. In Lap 16, all of them boxed and Miyazono got his position back. He was now 10 seconds in front of K. Drumond, who managed to come up to second place with a good strategy. It got exciting in lap 19, when Miyazono came in for his last stop. With only 1 l left he desperately needed to pit and change to the hard tyres. But that meant he needed to fight 8 laps on the slower tyres against the soft tyres around him. The gap got smaller and smaller. 5 laps to go he only had 3,5 seconds left. In lap 23 the gap was below 1 second and one lap later, Drumont flew by Miyazono.
A great strategy brought the young french driver his first win of the year. J. Serrano also managed to overtake Miyazono, leaving the hometown hero with the third place. “For the strategy, when I start in the back, it is obviously sure to start with the bad tires, like the hard tires. So the strategy was one lap, and go off with the mediums and softs for the best at the end with low fuel. So yeah, that was my strategy but I was surprised that my place was so really good.“ commented Drumont on his strategy.
Drumont now also leads the championship with 3 drivers only one point behind him and is in a great positon to become the nations cup champion. The leader of the Nations Cup before the event, C. López could not score any points today and fell back to 5th place.
Looking forward to Amsterdam
As the dust settles in Tokyo, drivers and fans are now focusing on Amsterdam. This city will host the next round of the Grand Final of the Gran Turismo World Series in 2024. C. López as the chance to get the lead back in December, when we meet again for the World Series Final.
Amsterdam has its own challenges for drivers. The competition will get intense as drivers will be in top form and improve their strategies. Expect fierce rivalries to spark. We might see some surprising stars rise, and the quest for Gran Turismo glory will become even more thrilling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who were the standout racers in Tokyo Round 3?
The Tokyo Round 3 had amazing performances. France’s Kylian Drumont was a star in the Nations Cup. The champion of the Nations Cup from the EMEA region did great work. Kawakami for Nexus was the dominant driver in the Manufacturers Cup.
How can fans access detailed race results and replays of the Gran Turismo World Series?
Fans who want to enjoy the thrill of the Tokyo live event again or see what happened can go to the official Gran Turismo channels. These sources provide full details on race results and replays. Fans can watch every overtake, pit stop, and exciting moment. This way, they can look at the strategies and performances that made this round so exciting.
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