Burton and Boquida secure their spots in Spain
Competitors in action at Fortress Melbourne.
The 2024 Motorsport Australia MOZA Racing FIA Motorsport Games Esports Qualifier recently took place at Fortress Melbourne, with two drivers securing their place on Team Australia.
Twenty-four of Australia’s top Esports drivers competed for the chance to represent their country at the upcoming 2024 FIA Motorsport Games in Valencia, Spain.
Held in front of an enthusiastic crowd, Jake Burton and Philippa Boquida took victories in iRacing and Assetto Corsa Competizione (ACC) respectively to claim the two spots for the highly anticipated international competition.
Competing across the two different platforms, the gaming venue saw drivers split into two groups of 12 drivers respectively – with a spot reserved for one driver from each platform on Team Australia.
The event began with the Esports GT Round One and last chance qualifier, followed by Esports F4 Round One and its subsequent last chance qualifier.
At the conclusion of the respective rounds and last chance qualifiers, the drivers who progressed to the finals participated in a 30-minute race to determine the winner for their respective category.
With no mandatory pit stops, the iRacing F4 race begun with Damon Woods leading the race with Marcello Rivera following closely behind.
In the final handful of minutes of racing, Woods and Rivera’s battle boiled over into a collision, leaving the opportunity for Jake Burton to become the new race leader.
Burton’s path to victory made for dramatic viewing, having sat in the top four during the majority of the race and behind Vermillion Motorsports’ Zach Rattray-White.
iRacing representative Jake Burton
An experienced driver, Burton had not expected to win, having faced his own difficulties at the beginning of the race.
“It was a little bit unexpected to be honest. I made some mistakes early on which really hurt us. I thought I was out of it to be honest. I knew there was a chance that they [Damon Woods and Marcello Rivera] might come together,” Burton said.
“Fortunately for me they did, but a bit of a shame for Damon and Marcello, they put together a really good night, so it was a shame it happened but so excited to go to Spain and represent Australia and Motorsport Australia.
“It will be totally new, it's kind of fitting that the Olympics are around now as well. It's getting me a little patriotic, so I'm excited to get out there.”
“It's been really good, everything has been super professional, obviously out in these awesome Next Level Racing rigs, that's been so much fun.”
Assetto Corsa Competizione representative Philippa Boquida
Next were the Assetto Corsa Competizione drivers ready to compete for the remaining ticket to Spain.
Philippa Boquida delivered a thrilling performance, starting from pole position and leading the race from start to finish.
Despite facing early challenges, included a track limit warning on the first lap and a close call with Zach Smith, Boquida maintained position to take the win.
“I'm feeling pretty happy, I came here feeling a bit stressed, a little bit anxious, but in the end I had a big pace advantage and took advantage of it,” Boquida said.
“I got a track limit warning on the first lap, and had a little scare with [Zach] Smithy tapping the back of my car in turn four, managed to catch it, I was a bit scared but in the end I just drove off.”
Boquida will now represent Team Australia for a second time, having been part of the squad in the 2022 edition of the FIA Motorsport Games.
“I'm happy to represent the country again, it's such an awesome feeling,” Boquida added.
The event was hosted at Fortress Melbourne, providing a unique experience for competitors and spectators. The two races were also streamed live across Motorsport Australia’s social channels, with the full replay now available to watch on the Motorsport Australia YouTube Channel.
Jake Burton and Philippa Boquida will next head to Valencia, Spain this October for the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games.