SCORPIO INSIDER - we are back, but not the same

Some say we were abducted by aliens and forced to explain SSF strategy until they lost interest.

Some say we went to the Maldives for “research” and forgot to come back.

Some say we got lost, took a wrong turn, and somehow ended up in Antarctica with no signal.

Some say we’ve been reviewing incidents from Road Atlanta… frame by frame… since April.

Some say we tried to fix the championship and made it worse.

Some say we just needed a break.

But all we know… we’re back! And things have changed…

First, the name. SSF Insider is gone. Finished. Parked. From now on, it’s Scorpio Insider. We’re no longer looking at one championship and pretending that’s the whole story. We’re covering everything. Esports, real-world racing, the lot. If it happens under Scorpio, it’s fair game.

Second, where you find us. We’re moving everything onto the website. No more long waits. No more “next issue coming soon” that quietly disappears for weeks. This is quicker now. Shorter updates, more often. You won’t get one massive drop once a month. You’ll get a steady stream instead. Easier to read. Harder to ignore. Stay tuned.

And then there’s the newsroom. We’ve hired more anonymous journalists. Which means more information, more rumours, more things that will probably annoy at least half the grid. Good. That’s the point. If nobody’s uncomfortable, we’re not doing it properly.

So that’s where we are. New name, new format, more noise. This is Scorpio Insider now. And judging by what’s happened in the last six races, we didn’t come back a moment too soon.

S2K’s Ruthless Numbers: When Dominance Stops Being a Debate

Since our last issue, six races have come and gone, and they’ve told a very clear story. Lago Maggiore was the last time anyone managed to beat S2K, with Larson snatching a narrow win. After that, it’s been a one-man show. Five victories in a row. A new SSF record. Nine wins in eleven races this season. To put that into perspective, that’s more wins than he managed across the entire 2025 campaign. His career total now stands at seventeen, and it’s not just the number that stands out, it’s the rate at which they’re coming.

We decided to refresh your memory with how many wins and podiums top SSF drivers have had so far...

S2K is everywhere. Front row, podium, race lead, strategy control. Nobody matches his consistency and nobody matches his ability to convert opportunities. Larson and Arriagada had flashes of pace, but both quit under the pressure; Ryan keeps quietly collecting podiums like it’s his full-time job, but none of them can sustain a challenge over multiple rounds. The numbers don’t lie anymore. This isn’t a title fight right now. It’s a chase for second, while S2K keeps rewriting what dominance looks like in SSF.

Safety Cars Arrive. Racing Gets Better.

There was a time when SSF races followed a familiar script. Build a gap, manage it, bring it home. Clean, controlled, predictable. That time is over.

The introduction of the safety car at Le Mans and Spa has flipped the entire narrative on its head. Strategy is no longer a straight line. Gaps mean less. Timing means everything. And just when you think you’ve got the race under control… you don’t. Le Mans proved it immediately. Two safety cars and two resets. What should have been a measured race turned into arguably the most exciting showdown SSF has ever produced, even though a promised rain never arrived. Nevertheless, leads vanished. Strategies collapsed. Drivers who thought they had it covered suddenly had to fight all over again. And Spa? More of the same. A thriller. Constant pressure. No breathing room. No comfortable margins. Just racing, the way it’s meant to be - unpredictable, tense, and brutally honest.

And, of course, not everyone is happy. There are complaints. There always are. Safety cars bunch up the field. They can undo hard work. They can hand opportunities to drivers who didn’t “earn” them in the traditional sense. But here’s the reality. That’s racing. Every major series deals with it. The best drivers don’t complain about it. They adapt to it. They learn when to push, when to pit, when to gamble. They turn chaos into opportunity.

And the rest? They talk. Because over the course of a season, it evens out. It always does. One race it costs you, the next it saves you. The strongest drivers come out on top anyway. They always have. What safety cars have done is simple. They’ve taken SSF from controlled competition to something far more alive. More reactive. More demanding. You can’t just be fast anymore. You have to be smart, alert, and ready for everything to change in an instant.

So yes, safety cars are here. Yes, they will decide races. Yes, they will frustrate people. Good. Because if Le Mans and Spa are anything to go by, they’re also going to make this championship a lot more interesting. And in the end, the best driver will still win. Just don’t expect it to be easy anymore.

Red Bull Ring: Postponed, Abandoned… or Just Fashionably Late?

The Red Bull Ring was supposed to happen on the 20th of June. It didn’t. Not because of something dramatic. Not because of some technical failure. Not even because of controversy. It simply… didn’t happen. Too few drivers turned up. That’s it. A grid so thin it looked more like a private test session than a championship round.

At first, the organisers pulled the plug. Cancelled. Done. Move on. But now, in a twist that feels very SSF, it’s back. Rescheduled for the 29th of August. Same track, same expectations, hopefully more than half a grid this time. And naturally, the questions start. Was it poor organisation? Were teams not pushed hard enough to commit? Or was it just timing? Mid-summer, when half the paddock swaps race suits for swimwear and suddenly “availability” becomes a flexible concept?

There’s also the small matter of the Alps deciding to throw a tantrum. Heavy rain, thunderstorms, travel delays. It all sounds very dramatic, very inconvenient… and very believable. But let’s be honest, if drivers really wanted to race, they’d find a way. They usually do.

Which leaves us with a slightly uncomfortable truth. When the grid doesn’t show up, something’s off. Whether that’s on the organisers, the drivers, or just the calendar, depends on who you ask. What we do know is this: the Red Bull Ring will run. Just not when it was supposed to. And when it does, it comes with a bit of history attached.

Last year, both races here were won by S2K. Not comfortably, though. Larson was right there, twice finishing second, pushing him all the way. It was one of the few tracks where dominance didn’t look quite so inevitable. Which makes this year… interesting. Because Larson hasn’t exactly been around lately. Our insiders suggest he’s taken a break. A holiday. Somewhere warm, no doubt. And honestly, who can blame him? Europe in summer does that to people. Sun’s out, water looks inviting, and suddenly racing feels optional.

But championships aren’t won on a beach. And while some drivers switch off, others keep going. Keep showing up. Keep scoring. That’s the difference. By the time we get to end of August, the question won’t just be who’s fastest. It’ll be who’s still sharp. Who stayed focused. Who didn’t trade racecraft for cocktails. Because when Red Bull Ring finally rolls around, late and slightly awkward, it won’t care why it was delayed. It’ll just demand results. And as always, the strongest ones will be there. The rest will have a nice tan.

Larsen to RaceGen? Training in Secret While Seats Are Already Taken

Something doesn’t add up. And when things don’t add up in motorsport, it usually means one thing. Something is happening behind the scenes… and nobody wants to talk about it. Over the past weeks, multiple anonymous sources have pointed in the same direction. Timothy Friis Larsen, one of the brightest names on iRacing, has been seen putting in serious physical training. Not casual workouts, not keeping sharp. Proper, focused training. The kind you don’t do unless there’s something on the line.

At the same time, we’re hearing that Larsen and his lawyers have been in contact with RaceGen management. Multiple conversations, we hear. Enough to raise eyebrows. Enough to start questions.

Here’s the problem. Scorpio Motorsport recently completed their line-up, confirming third driver Faris Organji from Saudi Arabia. Three drivers and three cars. Done. Signed, sealed, announced. With the addition of Faris, the team looks complete. No vacancies. No obvious openings.

So where exactly does Larsen fit into this? Because if he’s training for a Scorpio seat… he’s late. Very late. The door appears closed. Locked. Possibly welded shut. Unless… it isn’t? There are only a few possibilities, and none of them are simple. Is Larsen preparing for a surprise move? Is there internal uncertainty within the team that hasn’t been made public? Or is this all part of a longer game, laying the groundwork for next season before anyone else even starts thinking about it?

We reached out to RaceGen for clarification. They declined to comment. Which, in motorsport, usually tells you more than an actual answer ever would. Because if there was nothing going on, it would be very easy to say so. Instead, silence. And silence, at times like this, is loud.

For now, nothing is confirmed. No contracts. No announcements. Just patterns, whispers, and a driver who seems far too busy for someone with nothing to prepare for. Maybe it’s nothing. Or maybe… something is coming.

Ryan Stringer: From Missing the Grid to Chasing the Grand Finals

Some drivers talk about effort. Others actually do something about it. Stringer falls firmly into the second category. Competing in one of the most competitive official series on iRacing, the Radical championship isn’t something you just sign up for. It’s split into European and American divisions, and even getting a place on the grid means you’re already among the top-rated drivers in your region. This isn’t open entry. This is filtered, ruthless, and very selective.

And at first, Ryan wasn’t there. He simply didn’t qualify. Missed the opening rounds completely. While others were already scoring points, building momentum, settling into the rhythm of the championship, he was on the outside looking in. For most, that’s where the story ends. For Ryan, it’s where it started.

What followed wasn’t luck. It was work. Proper work. Grinding iRating, refining pace, putting in the hours when nobody’s watching and nothing is guaranteed. Slowly, steadily, he forced his way into contention. And then came the statement. A win. And then another win against the drivers who were already established in the series, already comfortable, already ahead. During the last 4 races, he has been on a podium every single time.

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That changes things. Now, Ryan sits 8th in the standings. One position away from the cut. Because only the top 7 drivers from each class, Pro and Am, make it to the Grand Finals. One place. That’s all that separates him from turning this into something much bigger.

And suddenly, it feels very real. Because momentum is a dangerous thing. Once it starts, it doesn’t ask permission. It just builds. Confidence follows. Results follow. Pressure shifts. The question now isn’t whether Ryan belongs here. It’s whether anyone can keep him out. Can the Scorpio driver make that final step? We’ve seen the trajectory. We’ve seen the work. We’ve seen the win. At this point, it would almost be surprising if he didn’t. And if he does make it… don’t call it a comeback. Call it what it is. A climb.

Suzuka 8 Hours: Scorpio promoted to IRO Split 1

If anyone asks what endurance racing is all about... just show them this race.

After being promoted to IRO Split 1 (arguably the most competitive endurance championship on GT7) Scorpio team arrived at Suzuka with plenty of unknowns. A brand-new Porsche 911, a refreshed driver lineup, and a grid full of the fastest teams in the world. Qualified P8. Finished P8. Sounds simple, right?.. Well, not quite…

The opening stint belonged to Jason Käsmann, who was pulling double duty while also competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a completely different category. As the rain arrived, Scorpio eSports Team Principal suggested it might be time for intermediate tyres. The message may or may not have taken the scenic route to the driver's headset, and we stayed out for one lap too long. The result? From P8 to... well... last. No fingers pointed, because every endurance team has that strategy call at some point. Ours just happened to come eight hours into a race weekend. 

PayMay took over for the second stint and began the long climb back through the field, bringing the Porsche back into contention before handing it over to Onell "SuperS2K" Murad. What followed was nothing short of remarkable. One of GT7's brightest stars and GT7’s most successful Super Formula driver, Onell delivered a phenomenal recovery stint, unlapping us from almost every car ahead and dragging the team back into the fight. By the time he climbed out of the car, we were all intrigued. The team was right back where it belonged.

For the final stint, PayMay jumped back behind the wheel to bring the blue-silver Porsche home. It wasn't a completely clean run, because endurance racing never is. And after a couple of small mistakes we slipped from P7 back to P8 before the chequered flag.

Still, perspective is everything. This was team’s first race in IRO Split 1. Our first endurance race in the Porsche. A new driver in the Scorpio squad. Eight demanding hours at Suzuka’s unpredictable weather with rain in every single stint, against some of the best GT7 endurance teams in the world. A P8 finish? That’s not too bad at all.

This team keeps proving that it belongs at the front. The pace is there, the chemistry is growing, and every race makes it stronger. Suzuka wasn't perfect indeed, but it showed exactly what this squad is capable of.

P.S. Now... just make sure everyone hears the Team Principal a little sooner next time.

A New Name, A Big Future: Tobias Matheson Joins Scorpio eSports

Every now and then, someone shows up and makes it very easy for you. No long evaluations. No endless debates. Just raw pace, clear potential, and that quiet confidence that tells you this one is different.

That’s exactly what happened with Tobias Matheson.

A 15-year-old from Florida doesn’t usually walk into a team like Scorpio and immediately get noticed. But Tobias didn’t just turn up. He delivered. His first appearance came during the Le Mans 24 Hour race, where he joined forces with Alex Strobel, Ryan Stringer and other prospects. Long race, high pressure, no room for mistakes. Perfect place to hide. He didn’t. Lap after lap after lap, stint after stint after stint, he showed speed. No strong consistency, just flashes of pace, but still impressive. The kind of flashes that makes people stop what they’re doing and start paying attention. And by the time the race was done, the decision was already made. Invite him in.

Tobias now joins Scorpio as a full-time driver, and it doesn’t feel like a gamble. It feels like timing. Because behind the sim results, there’s more. He’s not just another name from the online world. He races karts in real life. He understands racing beyond the screen. The habits, the discipline, the instinct. That carries over. And … He’s only 15. Which means this isn’t just about what he is now. It’s about what he could become. Drivers at that age don’t arrive finished. They arrive with edges, with room to grow, with ambition that hasn’t been shaped yet. But give them the right environment, the right people, and the right opportunities… and things can move quickly.

That’s where Scorpio comes in. Because if there are dreams, they need somewhere to go. Somewhere to be tested, pushed, and developed into something real. That place is here. And Tobias Matheson just stepped into it.

Thruxton, touring cars, Devlin making history

You know how touring car racing usually goes. Someone wins the first race. Someone wins the other. The grid flips. Everything resets. And the fast guys are stuck in traffic, elbows out, hoping to survive Turn 1 without losing half the car.

That’s the game. Now imagine someone ignoring all of that. Thruxton. Fast, narrow, no time to think. The kind of place where the car is always on edge and the driver is never fully comfortable. You don’t relax there. You hang on and make small corrections, lap after lap, like balancing a shopping trolley with a bad wheel that keeps pulling left.

Twenty-nine drivers turned up. Proper touring car racers who know how to fight, defend, and make your life difficult without thinking twice. And yet, one of them made it look… controlled.

Charlie Devlin, in the Civic, didn’t just win the opening race. That happens. It’s a good start, nothing more. But then came race two, and then race 3 with the reverse grid, where everything is supposed to go wrong. Faster drivers buried in the pack. Slower cars ahead. Chaos waiting at every braking zone. You expect damage. You expect frustration. He found a way through it. Steady, precise driving. Picking moments. Letting the race come to him, the way you let traffic clear instead of trying to beat it at every light.

Three races. Three wins. Read that again, because in this kind of series, it doesn’t really make sense. The format is built to stop exactly this from happening. Reverse grids exist for a reason. They shuffle the deck, give others a chance, force the quick drivers to work for it. At Thruxton, the deck was shuffled, but it didn’t change the outcome. You don’t see that often in touring cars. And when you do, you stop and take notice.

A full report will follow soon. This one deserves it.