Boquida wins GT3 Esports Cup

Philippa Boquida has added another title to her ever-impressive Esports resume after claiming the 2023 Simagic Motorsport Australia GT3 Esports Cup in dominant fashion.

With six rounds forming part of the Octane Online Racing-run series, Boquida won four of the six events, beating runner-up Zachary Smith by 68 points, while Shady Samuel rounded out the top three a further 156 points behind.

Although the gap was close between Boquida and Smith, the advantage was heavily in the former’s favour as she never dropped below the top three in any outing.

The competition was split into two stages, with the first being a four-round Knockout Qualifying phase, which Boquida comfortably cruised through, before the six-round Final stage, which also featured drop rounds.

Having won the Knockout phase behind the wheel of a BMW, Boquida switched to a McLaren for the Finals phase in a move that paid off significantly.

Starting with a win in the opening event at Circuit Paul Ricard, Boquida then had a minor hiccup during the next round in Suzaka, finishing second overall.

Boquida looked to have bounced back in the Cup's third round at Valencia, winning the event’s first race but dropped to third in the second race, which cost the BS+ Competition star the round win.

However, that was as low as it got for Boquida, as a hattrick of victories at Mount Panorama, Monza and Spa all but sealed the title.

Following on from the Simagic Motorsport Australia GT3 Esports Cup, Boquida was pleased with her overall performance.

“It feels good to have won the title – It’s always nice winning a good competition,” Boquida said.

“I had mixed feelings at times throughout the season, and there were some moments where I felt vulnerable, but with the competition implementing drop-round regulations, I was able to remove those bad rounds and end with a healthy score.

“While I have enjoyed lots of success over the years, the Motorsport Australia GT3 Esports Cup was an important one to win, because I had been having some personal issues throughout the season but I overcame them when I had to.

“I learned the ability to put my personal troubles aside, not let the anxiety get the better of me and stay focused – it was a bit like a mental reset that boosted my confidence.

“A big thank you to my team BS+ Competition, and all my friends for having my back – I look forward to the next one.”