FIA Esports Hill Climb Cup: Löhner wins the first edition
The newsroomUpdated on October 22, 20263 minGermany's Moritz Löhner wins the first FIA Esports European Hill Climb Cup in Luxembourg on RaceRoom, beating Lebanon's Sami Joe Abi Nakhle in the final.
Key point
Germany's Moritz Löhner won the first FIA Esports European Hill Climb Cup in Luxembourg on 11 October 2026, beating Lebanon's Sami Joe Abi Nakhle in the final.
The FIA Esports European Hill Climb Cup has its first champion: Germany's Moritz Löhner was crowned in Luxembourg on Sunday 11 October 2026, after beating seven rivals in a knockout final, according to the FIA, which published its report on 21 October.
A competition launched in 2026
The event was created in 2026 as part of the FIA's strategy to diversify its esports offering. It started on 20 August, free and open to everyone on PC through the free-to-play RaceRoom Racing Experience. Qualifying was an online hot-lap phase: the eight fastest drivers earned a place in the live final, organised by ACL Sport at the E-Motion sim-racing centre. The FIA counts more than 7,000 classified participants from 87 countries.
The course and the car
The final was held on a virtual recreation of the Glasbachrennen, a 5.5 km German hill climb, revealed only on Saturday morning. The corners look alike and a tight chicane adds to the challenge; any contact with the barriers cost a five-second penalty. Drivers used the BMW 134, a car with a 3.4-litre Judd V8, associated with hill climb legend Georg Plasa.
The final results
- Quarter-finals: Löhner beat Romania's Filip Floristeanu 2-1; Finland's Turkka Häkkinen beat Austria's Julian Klaffenböck 2-1; Lebanon's Sami Joe Abi Nakhle beat Mihai-Alexandru (Romania) 3-0; Italy's Alessandro Ottaviani beat Germany's Julian Kunze 2-1.
- Semi-finals: Löhner beat Häkkinen 3-0; Abi Nakhle beat Ottaviani 2-1, a semi-final decided by 0.3 seconds. Abi Nakhle set the course record there.
- Third-place play-off: Ottaviani beat Häkkinen to finish third.
- Final: Löhner beat Abi Nakhle in a single run; Abi Nakhle received two five-second penalties.
Key takeaways
Löhner said his last win came a couple of years ago and that he enjoyed this format, which is about racing against the clock. The event was backed by the Luxembourg government, Next Level Racing, KW Automotive and UAOA. Jérôme Pinto, from the online qualifier, won a Next Level Racing GT Elite Wheel Plate Edition cockpit.
- First champion: Moritz Löhner (Germany).
- Eight-driver final in Luxembourg, on RaceRoom.
- Course record: Sami Joe Abi Nakhle.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the FIA Esports European Hill Climb Cup?
Germany's Moritz Löhner, crowned in Luxembourg on Sunday 11 October 2026 after beating seven rivals in the knockout stage.
Which game and which car were used?
RaceRoom, with the BMW 134 powered by a 3.4-litre Judd V8, a car associated with hill climb legend Georg Plasa.
How could you enter the inaugural edition?
The contest started on 20 August 2026, free and open to everyone on PC through RaceRoom; the eight fastest hot-lap qualifiers were invited to the final.
Sources
- FIA — Moritz Löhner wins the inaugural FIA Esports European Hill Climb Cup
- Traxion — The FIA's free-to-play hill climb esports contest goes live on RaceRoom
Written by the Karrazmotorsport newsroom, proofread before publication. For settings, always refer to your vehicle's manual. Our charter.
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