Of course, you can ask us! We will tell you what Porsche Carrera Cup Italia 2021 is and what will be going on. When you understand the rules of the game, it is much more interesting to watch it!

How many races are in the calendar?

12 races, two races in each of the 6 sporting weekends. The rounds in Misano and Mugello, Imola and Vallelunga, Franciacorte and Monza are expecting for us.

What is a racing weekend?

A racing weekend usually takes three days. Firstly, the drivers have the time for free practices, then pass the two-segment qualification and participate in two races. During the breaks they eat pasta, drink coffee, and they say that some of them manage even to sleep.

How much time does a race last?

28 minutes plus 1 lap. We do not know either why it lasts this exact time.

What is Michelin Cup?

Michelin Cup is a separate classification for the non-pro drivers older than 30 years. They are also called gentlemen drivers. These drivers participate together with the other participants in compliance with the general rules, but they earn qualification points not only in the overall classification but also in Michelin Cup competing additionally with each other.

To prove that the driver is really a non-pro, there is the rule according to which, if a gentlemen driver has shown the top-6 time among all the drivers in the qualification, he/she cannot score points in Michelin Cup anymore (nobody will send him/her off the track, though, and will not withdraw the prizes, the driver can compete as much as he/she wants).

Michelin Cup can be distinguished by starting numbers that begin from 50.

Which cars participate in PCCI?

Only Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (type 991) are allowed to the Carrera Cup Italia.

Which tires can be used?

It is mandatory to use Michelin racing tires in all the races and all the official PCCI tests. All the tires are marked and assigned to each car separately.

Which fuel is used?

“NS 102 Octane” mono-fuel is used in all Porsche Carrera Cup Italia races. The organizers can take fuel samples from the fuel tank after a qualification and a race and to compare them with a special sample kept in a sealed container and cherish it as the apple of eye. That is why each participant must have at least three liters of fuel remaining at the finish. The results of those who do not comply with this rule are canceled.

What are free practices?

These are the practices held at the beginning of each racing weekend. Drivers familiarize with the track, and engineers choose perfect settings for qualifications and races. Free practices are usually represented by one 60-minute session. The timing is recorded on the track, but the results, most likely, will not affect anything (if there is no force majeure).

Why do we need qualifications?

Qualifying sessions determine the order on the starting grid of the first race of the weekend. Initially, all the participants of the round are allowed to enter the track to drive as many laps in 30 minutes as they consider necessary. The best lap (performed in compliance with all the rules) is recorded in the table of results.

Then the second qualifying segment is held: the drivers that have shown 12 best results in the first segment get a chance to do their best. The second attempt lasts only 10 minutes, and drivers get the position on the start of the race according to the results of this round followed by another drivers whose positions have been defined during the first segment.

By the way, if we are talking about force majeure, if qualifying sessions are canceled due to any good cause (flood, volcanic eruption, arrival of aliens), the starting grid order will be defined by the results of the free practices.

When is the qualifying before the second race?

The starting grid of the race 2 is the official classification of the first race. But there is one “but”: for greater spectacularity, the six best drivers get their positions in the reverse order, and the winner of the Saturday race starts from the 6th position, the silver prize-winner – from the 5th, and so on.

Can a race be canceled?

It is possible, but will be avoided by all means: in case there are dangers on the track, the virtual safety car regime will be applied, or a real safety car will appear on the track. That is why a race will be stopped only in case these procedures are not compliant with the rules.

Are there other rules for drivers?

Upon completion of qualifications and races, all the drivers must drive their cars to the zone called Parc Fermé where a Technical Scrutineer will check the compliance of the car to the technical requirements (in case someone has raised the fifth wheel in the process of the race!).

The drivers go to the control weighing, as the driver’s weight is an important factor for the competitions.

How are pilots punished if they misbehave?

Such penalties as “Stop and Go” and “Drive Through” can be applied for non-compliance with the rules. Both mean driving through the pit lane where the maximum speed is 60 Km/h, and Stop and Go requires a 10-second stop.

Drivers can also get significant monetary penalties. There are also the penalty seconds that are added to the precious race result and usually spoil everything and make to give the prize cup to a competitor.

Stewards can also penalize drivers with a loss of positions on the starting grid of the next round.

What are classification points and how are they scored?

This is the main parameter to decide at the end of the season on who did a great job, who is the champion and the mother's pride.

In the first race of the weekend, the racers who took the first 15 places would score the points according to the following scheme: 30-24-21-18-15-12-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (which means 30 points for the first place, 24 points for the second place, etc.).

The points for the second race are scored according to the scheme 26-21-18-16-14-12-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.

Besides, the driver who has won the qualification (and who has won the pole position in the first race) gets three points.
The driver who has demonstrated the best lap in each race of the weekend can score one point.

The points in Michelin Cup are scored for the first 6 places according to the scheme 11-8-6-4-2-1.

When the season comes to an end, the best results of the 12 races will be taken into account for each participant. It means that it is possible to screw up in one race. However, it is better not to do it.

How did you manage to remember all this?

Do you think that it is enough to get a driver’s license to participate in PCCI? Not at all! Every driver and every team manager has to pass the exam on the series rules on the online platform before the start of the racing season. And we do it.

We are sure that this quick guide will be enough for our fans to understand what is the competition goal of all these great sportsmen in multicolored cars. Now you will assure yourself how fascinating Porsche Carrera Cup Italia is!

The start is soon!