At the Gran Turismo World Series Showdown this past August, Team Porsche accomplished the unimaginable when it bested its rivals to win the race with a man down.

Ace driver Angel Inostroza of Chile was unable to make the trip to Amsterdam to partake in the first live event of the season due to injury. One would think that missing Angel from the lineup would prove to be a huge handicap—he’s considered one of the elite drivers in the GTWS, finishing 2nd overall in the Nations Cup last year and scoring a 3rd-place finish at this year’s Olympic Esports Series—but somehow the team of Jose Serrano and Takuma Sasaki bucked the odds and brought home the win without him.

Serrano was actually surprised he and Sasaki were able to pull off the win in Amsterdam. “We didn't think we could win, since unfortunately Angel wasn’t there to help us. Without him, everything is more complicated, but our rhythm was good, we were able to endure the problems on the track, and we survived in the rain. Now, with Angel back, we’re hoping to fight to win for the title; it’s that we’ve been waiting several years for with Team Porsche. I’m confident that with Takuma and Angel, we’ll be able to put up a good fight because they are two of the best drivers in the world.”

According to Sasaki, their strategy for the World Series Showdown was quite simple, and it worked: “I decided to leave the wet conditions to Jose, since he was very fast in the wet. And because I was running a good pace on the dry track, I took over there.”

Said Inostroza about his return: “First thing I want to say is that I’m extremely grateful to everyone who was worried about me. It helped me a lot through my recovery. It was kind of bittersweet watching my teammates win, because on one side, I was not there to enjoy being at the top of the podium with them, but on the other side, I was really happy for them and also thankful for getting the victory in my name, it was a truly awesome gift. Currently, I'm still recovering, and it will take a lot more time to be 100 percent, but hopefully, it will be enough. You can expect me to give my best [in Barcelona] and compete at the top level.”

Who will Team Porsche need to be cautious of at the World Finals? According to Sasaki, a few teams stand out, but he likes Team Porsche’s chances. “The teams that will be challenging for us to fend off will be Subaru, Mercedes-AMG, and Toyota, I feel. But I’m confident about our team. Our members are very supportive of each other, and we have experience winning championships, so I feel that we are a formidable team.”

Lastly, we would like to share with you an interview with Inostroza that was recently published on social media: