Story 4: the TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT Cup: The Only Race This Year Where the Drivers Race for Personal Glory!
Countdown to the Gran Turismo World Series World Finals
The TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GT Cup (TGR GT Cup) this year is going to be an absolute standout! Why? Because it's the one-and-only time drivers will be taking to the track as individual contestants, not as part of a team. Assembling for this exclusive live event in Barcelona, Spain, are the top 21 drivers from the 2023 Online Series, plus three local champions, making for an all-star lineup of 24 of the best of the best! And it will indeed be a contest to see who has the most skills because every driver will be behind the wheel of identical cars, from qualifying all the way up to the Grand Final.
World Finals 2023 Race Structure
The driver lineup is a who’s who in the world of competition esports driving. They hail from 11 different countries from every corner of the world, including Europe, the Americas, and the Pacific. The field consists of time-tested veterans, such as Coque López, Takuma Miyazono, Ryota Kokubun, Jose Serrano, and Lucas Bonelli, as well as relatively unknown up-and-comers like Daniel Penco of Spain, Joshua Struik of Australia, and Karl Etyemezian of Lebanon... Yes, you read it right, Lebanon!
They will first unleash the fury of the Toyota GR Corolla Morizo Edition in qualifying. But that's just the beginning. In the Semi-finals, they’ll switch gears and strap into the blistering Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept, where the top four finishers stamp their tickets to the Grand Final. Those finishing in 5th through 10th will get another chance in the repechage round, where they’ll pilot the GR Yaris RZ in the snow! Indeed, it will be the first race to be run on the white road, and on the new Lake Louis track. The top four here will advance to the Grand Final, totaling 12 finalists, who’ll take on the tricky Catalunya Grand Prix Circuit in the formidable Toyota GR010 Hybrid for all the glory.
Each one of these contestants will be extra hungry to win this year’s TGR GT Cup for the sole reason it has become the featured individual driver’s race. For the seasoned veterans, it represents their one shot this year at adding a shiny new individual title to their already impressive collection of accomplishments. But for the newcomers, it presents a golden chance to etch their names in the annals of Gran Turismo history, instantly skyrocketing them to stardom. As you cheer on your favorite racers, I’ll wager there’s a little corner of your heart secretly rallying for the underdogs, right?
