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Red Bull’s Frede Rasmussen has his sights on the F1 World Championship title, after taking the chequered flag in CoTA and leading the Driver Championship, which would be first title since 2017. We’re heading into Event 3, which is the final of the F1 Sim Racing World Championship 2023/2024.
As we head to the virtual tracks of Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Las Vegas, Lusail and Yas Marina, the pulses are racing and it’s all to play for with 5 races remaining in the series. Currently Frede Rasmussen leads the way in the Championship fight and Red Bull currently heads the Team Championship battle.
Could Mercedes’ Jarno Opmeer see a triumphant comeback to claim his 3rd title, after missing out to McLaren’s Lucas Blakeley’s 2022 Championship title? The flying Dutchman is no stranger to last minute surprises after his F1 Sim Racing World Championship British GP comeback displayed in Event 2.
Could Frede Rasmussenâs first Red Bull crown come from the F1 Sim Racing World Championship 2023/24? He currently leads the Driver Championship with his 40 point lead, But Ferrariâs Bari Baroumand is currently 2nd place and looking to claim his first title.
Alfie Butcherâs (Haas) win in what was only his 3rd race at Spielberg, Austria, was the quickest win achieved by a rookie driver since David Tonizza (Ferrari) won on his debut in 2019. Letâs get more quick facts!
As the teams head to Stockholm, Sweden for another round of LAN events, which are the first LAN events since 2020 to conclude the Championship battle. The winner of the F1 Sim Racing World Championship 2023/24 will see their face becoming a selectable character in the F1 24 Official Video game, developed by Codemasters. Joining the likes of Brendon Leigh, David Tonizza, Jarno Opmeer and Lucas Blakeley.
Let’s check out the upcoming tracks for Event 3:
But when does it all happen? Weâve got you covered.
Remember to watch the action on the official Formula 1 YouTube & Twitch and the Official F1 Sim Racingâs YouTube, Facebook and Twitch.
F1 Sim Racingâs highly anticipated calendar has been revealed. Itâs official – weâre back racing! After an exhilarating start to the season in Bahrain, where KICK F1 Esports Teamâs Thomas Ronhaar eased ahead of the field to take the chequered flag with an impressive lead of over 5 seconds ahead of Mercedesâ Jarno Opmeer, who was then followed by Ferrariâs Nicolas Longuet.
The calendar announcement means one thing – F1 Sim Racing is back to wet your racing appetite! The season is far from over and we have 11 more rounds to go. A lot can happen in 11 rounds, everything is still to play for.
Weâve announced the calendar, so we hear you wondering – how does it work? Letâs take a dive into the first fully LAN F1 Sim Racing World Championship in over 4 years! The action packed calendar delivers 12 rounds for the 2023 World Championship! Letâs dive into the calendar and see how it works and where you can watch all of the official F1 Sim Racing action.
Event 2 (April 10th > April 12th)
April 10th Will see us under the lights of Jeddah, a new track for the F1 Sim Racing World Championship and then ending the day in Spielberg at the home of the Red Bullâs, Austria. Last year, we saw sun, rain and more sun all in one race!
April 11th Brings us roundâs 4 and 5. Starting at the iconic British track of Silverstone before wrapping up the day at the historic Spa Francorchamps, both tracks are known for their temperamental weather, this day alone could have us on the edge of our seats.
April 12th Concludes Event 2, with a trip to the Netherlands for the famous Zandvoort track, known for itâs fast flowing corners. Then itâs time to grab your cowboy hats as we head to Austin, Texas. The two long straights of Circuit of the Americas (CoTA) have seen plenty of action throughout the years here at F1 Sim Racing.
Event 3 (May 7th > May 9th)
May 7th Kicks off Event 3 with a bang as we head around the virtual tracks of Mexico City, Mexico and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Both of the tracks have seen plenty of action throughout the series. Especially Sao Paulo, which has moved forward from its usual position as the last race in the Calendar. This time, thereâs no Marcel Kiefer to ride âgunnerâ for Frede Rassmussenâs title hopes. Can the Dane finish on the top step for the first time in his career this time around?
May 8th We should call this ânew track dayâ. We head to the virtual, bright, entertaining track in Las Vegas, Nevada, before rounding off the day racing at yet another new track, Losail, Qatar! A desert track with high temperatures and lots of tyre deg.
May 9th The grand finale is here! Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi is where the real world concludes itâs racing – as do we in F1 Sim Racing in 2024. Weâve seen many, many, many magnificent battles take place here and a few title deciders over the years too! Yas Marina is one of the most impressive tracks on the calendar with long straights, fast flowing corners and chicanes – what else could we want as fans of the sport!
So, weâve seen the tracks for each day of racing. But how does it work? Weâve got you covered!
Race Day running order (GMT +2)
12pm: The Qualifying Show. Weâll see qualifying take place for both tracks on the nominated day. Thatâs 2 x full qualifying sessions on each day (apart from May 9th of course!). Watch as the drivers set their grid positions for the evening show.
5pm: The Race Show. Drivers are now set to make the most from their qualifying positions which were set earlier in the day, as we head into the main event – the races! Each race will feature a distance of 50% of the real life duration. Thatâs two races – so double the action for our viewers! Only on May 9th will we see one race – Abu Dhabi – as we crown the F1 Sim Racing World Champion 2024!
Youâve got the dates, the run of each day⊠Now where can you watch it all take place?
Race Day checklist
Don’t forget, here’s how everything works in the F1 Sim Racing World Championship:
Youâve got all the details you need, now here are the dedicated places to be in the know of all the latest news:
Many challenged. Some put up a good fight. But with three victories, Nobody could resist the speed of David Tonizza! The first Pro Draft pick of 2019 led the 2019 F1 New Balance Esports Pro Series almost from start to finish. And he claimed his reward in the very last race of the season in Brazil, to become F1 Esports Pro Series champion.
It wasn’t an easy road, however. In fact for the first time, the likeable Italian lost the lead in the championship – with just once race to go. Frederik Rasmussen displaced him for the lead heading into the final race of the series, with just four points separating the title rivals. Twelve races, and it all came down to the very last one!
Red Bull Racing Esports made it very clear that they were here to win in F1 Esports. Their driver line-up was shuffled pre-season, bringing Rasmussen over from sister team Toro Rosso, and they retained the rapid Joni Tormala too. Throw into the mix up-and-coming racer Nicolas Longuet, and it’s a powerful roster indeed.
Congratulations @redbullracingES on winning the 2019 #F1Esports Team Championship! pic.twitter.com/dOVlnOOoQ6
â Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) December 5, 2019
The team had a tricky start to 2019 with a non-score in Bahrain. But that false start preceded an unbroken streak of 11 points finishes in a row, including eight podiums, and three wins.
Those are the headlines – and here’s what happened at our scintillating showdown…
Rasmussen laid down a marker in the opening race of the event, storming into an unassailable lead early on. The undercut was in full force in this race, with many drivers opting to pit early. The biggest beneficiary of this strategy was Lucas Blakely. After making his debut at the previous event, he was on the hunt for points. And he accomplished that in a major way, emerging in second place after the stops.
He had to fight hard to hold on to it, with pressure from Toro Rosso’s Patrik Holzmann relentless for the final few laps. But the pair held their own and took their first rostrum appearances of 2019. Tonizza crossed the line a fine fourth, with overtaking at Suzuka extremely difficult at the best of times. While it wasn’t the end of the world, he lost 13 points to Rasmussen. And that became 14 when the Dane set the fastest lap on the very last tour of the circuit. With Opmeer down in sixth and Bereznay out of the points, our quartet of contenders became a duo. Rasmussen versus Tonizza.
If Suzuka was a dent for Tonizza’s title charge, the USA was perhaps a very serious crack. Rasmussen took his third win of the Pro Series in fine style at the Circuit of the Americas, with his Italian rival once again off the podium.
Tonizza proved in the first three events that he had nerve and resolve by the bucketload. But at COTA, he cracked for the first time. He was hit with a three-second time penalty for exceeding track limits. And it was a reprimand that would drop him from P3 on the road down to sixth come the chequered flag. With Rasmussen taking another dominant win… Tonizza lost his championship lead for the first time.
The standout drive of the race – and perhaps the entire event – was that of Jarno Opmeer. The Flying Dutchman rocketed past Alvaro Carreton, Dani Bereznay, and Brendon Leigh in three consecutive laps, and almost challenged Tonizza for the final podium spot on the very last lap. He was however overzealous in his final move and made minor contact with the Hublot Ferrari Driver Academy racer, and was hit with a one-second penalty by the stewards. He dropped to fourth, with Leigh taking only his second podium of the season.
Rasmussen was unstoppable, and he shot into a four-point lead for the final race of the season. His performance also sealed the Teams’ title for Red Bull Racing Esports, with a lead too great for challengers FDA Hublot and Renault Vitality to close.
Who doesn’t love a good old fashioned titles decider in Brazil? The Interlagos Circuit has seen championships won and lost on the track many a time in Formula 1. And for the first time ever, the F1 Esports Pro Series to get its share of the action too.
With Bereznay and Opmeer eliminated from contention, it was just a two-horse race between Rasmussen and Tonizza.
Rasmussen was due to sit the final race of the season out. Nicolas Longuet was pencilled in for the finale – but the shot at the drivers’ title was too much of a great opportunity. So despite not having practiced the Interlagos track, Rasmussen stepped back in as his team mate sportingly stepped aside.
Wet qualifying certainly shook up the order. Tonizza took pole, but the damp conditions saw Rasmussen mired down in P7. The positions stayed as they were at the start of the race, but Frede made a bold – perhaps too bold – decision to pit at the end of the first lap.
The writing was on the wall for him just a few laps later, as he was demoted to an unlucky 13th position by Lucas Blakely. Tonizza meanwhile battled at the front of the field with Dani Bereznay, who was keen to send the 2019 Pro Series out with a bang. He made a dream maneuver around the outside of Tonzilla at the end of the first lap, and the pair sparred right until the chequered flag.
Rasmussen made some progress as the pit stops re-shuffled the deck, but come the chequered flag it was Tonizza P2, Rasmussen P10. Cue emotional team radio and tears from the emotional FDA Hublot team. Their first foray into F1 Esports paid off in the very first year, and their champion is already a household name!
So, it’s David Tonizza who finishes the incredible 2019 F1 Esports Pro Series on top. From racing in his bedroom, to becoming the first pick at the Pro Draft, to settling in to the Ferrari Driver Academy family, and now winning the ultimate prize… it’s been quite a year!
Frede Rasmussen can be proud of his achievements – three wins, and he helped deliver Red Bull’s teams’ crown. Dani Bereznay also picked up a trio of wins, and established himself as one of the main players. Jarno Opmeer’s solid season puts him in the shop window for 2020 and beyond, as a force for the future. Outgoing champion Brendon Leigh would probably have liked to have put a win on the board, but evolution is essential here, and he’ll no doubt be pushing hard to get back to his best for 2020.
An overview of the 2019 standings, which saw David Tonizza claim the championship.
Over in the team standings, Red Bull Racing Esports set the standard for all. It was a close-run fight for third, with Alfa Romeo Racing Esports and Renault Vitality trading positions all season long – and the midfield was as densely-packed as you could ask for.
Thank you for joining us for the 2019 F1 Esports Pro Series. Who’ll be top dog in 2020? We’ll find out soon enough, as our search for our next champion continues in 2020…
In the first two years of F1 Esports, one man has dominated. But reigning champion Brendon Leigh will relinquish his title on Wednesday night. We will crown a brand new champion for the first time in two years, and it’s wide open…
From the very first event, it was clear this would be a very different season 2018. While Mercedes won all but three races last year, they’ve not even touched the top step of the podium this time round. Here’s a look at the road we’ve travelled, and who’s in contention!
“One of the strongest performances in the history of F1 Esports”. That’s how commentator Jack Nicholls described Jarno Opmeer’s win in Germany. After a solid start to his season, it was lucky race number seven for the Renault Vitality star. His move on points leader David Tonizza for the lead was inspired, and a move his Renault stablemate Daniel Ricciardo would have been proud of.
In race eight, Dani Bereznay finally put his first win on the board after enduring the lion’s share of bad luck in the early races. After collisions, bad luck, and technical gremlins ruled him out of potential wins, he conquered the fearsome Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to take P1. In what he described as a strategic move, he waited until the last lap to pass Rasmussen for victory around the circuit in which he is lauded as one of the very best in the world.
He then continued his purple streak, seizing pole in Monza. The Hungarian maintained the lead at the start, but found himself in unfamiliar territory, from a new face. Red Bull’s Pro Draft pick, Nicolas Longuet not only qualified well in P4, but had the guile to move into the top three in the race. In fact, he led the race on his debut, before he was ultimately overpowered by Bereznay. However, with team mate Rasmussen not scoring, he rescued 18 valuable points for Red Bull in the teams’ championship.
It’s a four-way fight. FOUR. WAY. FIGHT! David Tonizza has a tally of 146 points, and he’s got a healthy gap of 26 points over his next challenger. He began the year with two wins on the bounce. Though there may have been issues for rivals in those events, nobody can deny that Tonzilla has been the class of the field in 2019. He added a third win of the season in a closely-fought duel in Austria, but he needs to watch his back for the man he led over the line…
Frede Rasmussen will be giving it his all. After winning the race in Baku, he marked himself as a frontrunner once again. He’ll still be stinging after losing the win in Canada, where he was one of several drivers who had an altercation with the white line in the pit lane, earning a penalty. After a non-score in the last round in Monza, his tally of 120 points might’ve been more under different circumstances. The Dane though, will be giving it his all after missing out in 2018. His one win compared to Tonizza’s three may seem insignificant, but his consistency and experience have kept him in the hunt.
One new challenger, one experienced hand. Tonizza and Rasmussen are two sides of a coin in F1 Esports. So add to the mix ex Renault Academy racer Opmeer, and you’ve got a varied set of title favourites. There’s no getting away from the fact that the Dutchman’s tally of 103 points puts him somewhat on the backfoot in this fight. He’s a fair way back from Tonizza – but his five podiums so far have given him a fighting chance.
The final member of the fab four in contention is of course Bereznay. Things could’ve been so different – his six points from the first event after leading in Bahrain and China must sting. But he steadily built momentum in event two to return to the podium. And in the last round, he took two consecutive wins to keep himself in the loop. His tally of 93 puts him more than two race victories behind Tonizza at the front, but expect Alfa’s alpha to fight to the very last corner.
Four drivers, from four different teams. It stands to reason that their respective outfits are all also in the hunt. Red Bull Racing Esports (181), Ferrari Driver Academy (146), Renault Vitality (145) and Alfa Romeo Esports (127) are all realistically in the chase.
It’s Red Bull’s to lose of course, and there are a possible 132 on the board. It’s a best possible score of 44 points for a team in any one race. The closest any team has come to that is Renault, who snagged 40 in Canada. So with all this in mind, expect things to change wildly throughout the final event…
Who do you think will take the titles? Join in with pre-event build-up ahead of the event on social media using #F1Esports! And of course don’t miss the GRAND FINAL live from 7PM GMT on Wednesday December 4. We’re cooking on YouTube, Facebook, F1Esports.com, Twitch, and with select broadcast partners too. See you there!
“What is behind you does not matter” – Enzo Ferrari.
When it comes to history, prestige, and greatness, very few compare to the illustrious Mr Ferrari.
So when David Tonizza was selected as the lead driver for the Prancing Horse’s first foray into the F1 New Balance Esports Pro Series, it was something he didn’t take lightly. All this came after being completely sidestepped at the 2018 Pro Draft. So what made the difference twelve months later?
His skill? Undeniable. His passion? Coursing through his veins. But it was his unbreakable will to continue to chase the dream that got him in red. In F1 Esports: Making an Esports Champion Episode 4: ‘Determination’, we travel to Maranello, to see how the family culture at Ferrari, and the support it offers, have helped him lead the way in the 2019 championship.
Will David Tonizza claim the ultimate Prize? With a handy buffer of 26 points over his nearest rival, he is on the verge of making history. Tune in to the F1 Esports GRAND FINAL on Wednesday, December 4 from 7PM GMT.
And before that, check out the episode on Monday December 2 at 8PM GMT, which will be airing on Twitch and YouTube.
Race nine. It’s a fair way into the championship to make your F1 Esports Pro Series Debut! Nonetheless, Daniel Shields, Lucas Blakely, and Nicolas Longuet all made that important first step at Event 3.
Racing for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports, SportPesa Racing Point Esports and Red Bull Racing Esports respectively, the trio were all picked to contest the 2019 Pro Series at the Pro Draft, making them three of the fortunate ten to be added to the already considerable pool of talent for the 2019 Pro Series.
With each team having three signed drivers on their roster, rotating drivers is a tricky task for team principals. Split them evenly and keep everyone happy? Put the strongest drivers in for their best tracks? Risk losing ground in the drivers’ championship to ensure points for the teams? It’s enough to give any manager a headache…
But having three fantastic drivers at your disposal is certainly a nice problem to have. And so it was, that at Race 9 around Monza, three new challengers got their shot.
“It wasnât exactly how I planned it,” began Mercedes debutant Daniel Shields.
“But it was really good fun. I had some good battles in there too. Starting from 19th on a track like Monza, it was either going to be really good or really bad. I had a couple of collisions, but it was still good fun!”
Indeed, Mercedes have not quite reached the same heights as their double-championship campaign in 2018. The digital silver arrows sit eighth in the teams’ standings currently. With Brendon Leigh and Patrik Krutyj amassing 61 points so far, they won’t be defending their title from last year. So with nothing to lose, it was time to deploy their Australian. He’s now got one eye on the Grand Final, with fingers crossed that he gets another outing.
“I want to race again â itâs certainly better than sitting in the stands! The main goal will be to race and get points,” he summarised.
“If we can qualify better it’ll make things a lot easier in the race too. In terms of the championship standings, weâll just try and do our best.”
Mercedes’ next target in the championship is Racing Point, who currently occupy seventh spot, with 71 points. And although he was able to add to his sqaud’s tally at Monza, Blakely relished the opportunity.
“It was always gonna be tough starting in the midfield in P15… but it was SO MUCH FUN!
“I donât know how many overtakes I made, but before the stop I made a lot of places, then after the pit stop I had to make more ground up.”
Blakely was memorable brought to tears in July’s Pro Draft. Years of practice, as he saw it, paid off with the ultimate prize – being part of an F1 team. He may not have scored, but racing against some of the best in the was its own reward.
“To get that first race in the books and have a hell of a lot of fun doing it? I canât complain too much!”
Art imitates life. SportPesa Racing Point Esports are embroiled in a close midfield scrap, much like their on-track counterparts. Just two points separate the pink digital team from next-best Williams (73 pts), with McLaren another 10 points up the road, on 81. The Flying Scotsman has every intention of jumping back in the rig for the Grand Final, and hunting down those points.
“I definitely want to race, thatâs for sure! Weâve just got to go hard, work tremendously and really nail everything, and try and come back stronger.”
The third and final fresh pair of legs in Event 3 belonged to Red Bull’s Nicolas Longuet.
With race-winner and title contender Frede Rasmussen as a team mate, the expectations were always going to be high. He already smashed all expectations by putting his car on the second row of the grid, out-pacing Rasmussen who lined up fifth.
A good result for the Dane would’ve seen him almost level on points with points leader David Tonizza, but he endured a race from hell and crossed the line P20 and last.
Cue an inspired drive drive from Longuet.
His first trick was to catapult past reigning champion Brendon Leigh on the line and slide into second place. Then, on Lap 5, he had the nerve, skill and opportunity to pass man-in-form Dani Bereznay for the lead of the race!
Scoring points on your debut is great…
Going straight to the podium is remarkable! @redbullracingES driver @NicolasLonguet did just that in Event 3 đȘ
Just three races remain! Don’t miss next week’s #F1Esports Grand Final
đ„ Wednesday December 4, 1900 GMT pic.twitter.com/cheTKU9e0H
â Formula 1 (@F1) November 27, 2019
After a debut like that, don’t be surprised to see more of the Frenchman in the Grand Final.
His team Red Bull Racing Esports sit pretty on top of the teams’ standings with 181 points, gapping Ferrari Driver Academy by 35 points. With 132 points still theoretically on the table, it’s far from over. But a repeat of this performance – for Longuet, Rasmussen, or Joni Tormala – will count massively in their favour.
Who’ll come out on top? Tune in to the Grand Final to find out on Wednesday December 4. Catch it live on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, with select broadcast partners, and right here on F1Esports.com!
No one wants to finish last. In 2018, Renault Sport Team Vitality propped up the teams’s championship in F1 Esports. Their tally of 23 points didn’t make for the happiest bedtime reading for the yellow squad. In actuality, things started out positively, with a P5 finish in the opening race. That pace couldn’t be sustained though. And with just four points-paying finishes afterwards, they racked up one sixteenth of eventual champions Mercedes.
And this makes what they’ve done in 2019 all the more impressive. A complete rebuild from the ground up, a fresh roster of drivers, and a clear goal – to win. That’s a goal they’ve already cracked twice, with lead pair Jarno Opmeer and Cedric Thome both tasting victory.
An honourable mention too to Simon Weigang. Though he’s only been deployed in a single race thus far, the squad’s Pro Draft pick has proved himself a worthy choice, picking up points in Race Six in Silverstone.
The ambition has been clear for Renault since the opening race. Opmeer started the campaign by heading straight to the podium in Bahrain. Since then, they’ve scored in every race, taking six podiums, including the two victories. If one thing is clear, they’re not giving up this title battle without a fight!
In a new mini series on YouTube, Renault Sport Team Vitality take you behind the scenes. There, you’ll see the intense training and practise their drivers go through ahead of their Live Event appearances.
Check out the first episode below.
Episode two drops here!
The F1 Esports 2019 Pro Series Grand Final is just around the corner! With 103 points, Jarno Opmeer is still in with a chance of scooping the drivers’ crown. And sat in third place, Renault are just a single point behind Ferrari, with Red Bull a little further up the road.
With two four-way fights for the title, you’d be crazy to miss our Grand Final! Tune in on Wednesday December 4 to see who takes the titles. We’ll be streaming live on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, select broadcast partners, and of course on the F1 Esports site. We’ll see you then!
“Once something is a passion, the motivation is there.”
The great Michael Schumacher has many famous quotes. Arguably, his adage about motivation is his most famous one. And if a seven-time World Champion says it, there has to be some truth to it! Motivation is defined as a willingness to do or carry on doing something.
For SportPesa Racing Point reduced young Lucas Blakely to tears at the Pro Draft in July. The ever-likeable Scot made it to the final 30, and was overwhelmed with emotion when the pink team selected him as their driver for the 2019 F1 New Balance Esports Pro Series.
It’s been something of a purple streak for the pink team of late. After coming close several times, Racing Point finally hit the top spot in Event 2, where Marcel Kiefer took the fight to the main championship contenders with victory in Silverstone. With Kiefer and team mate Daniele Haddad occupying the cars, Blakely watched on from behind the scenes. So how do you keep motivation when you’re not constantly racing?
In F1 Esports: Making an Esports Champion Episode 3: ‘Motivation’ we find out what makes him tick, and how he divides his time between his native Scotland, and the Racing Point base of operations in Silverstone. Being installed in an F1 team is a demanding and exciting job. With three drivers trying to fit into two cars, it’s a constant battle to prove your worth.
Will Blakely be rewarded with his first appearance at the third Live Event? Tune in on Wednesday, November 6 to find out!
But before that, check out the episode on Tuesday at 18:00 BST, which will be airing on Twitch and YouTube.
One light. Two lights. Three lights! Four! FIVE! GO!
The anticipation couldn’t be higher, as we streak towards our third live event of the 2019 F1 New Balance Esports Pro Series. We’ve seen four different winners so far – that’s already tied the number of last season. And there are plenty of suitors looking to add to that tally as we move on to event 3.
The third act of our enthralling 2019 Pro Series takes us to three familiar fan-favourites of the F1 Calendar: Hockenheimring in Germany, Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, and Monza in Italy.
Set downforce to 1-1 and prepare to go all in, all out on camber and toe. High speed is king on this selection of circuits, and we’re here for it…
After a rain-affected race played chaos with strategy, Cedric Thome was awarded victory in the opening salvo at Circuit Gilles Gilleneuve. The Dutchman was not first to cross the line, however, with victory initially awarded the way of that man again, David Tonizza. He was one of several drivers awarded post-race penalties for crossing the white line on exit of the pit lane, as they made the switch from dry tyres to Intermediate rubber.
If Canada was chaos, Austria was more of a straightforward occasion. In truth, it was a Cold War of Grands Prix, with the immovable superpowers of Tonizza and Rasmussen refusing to budge an inch. The Ferrari man led from pole, and duly led away from the line well. Rasmussen then spent 18 long laps impersonating Tonizza’s shadow, never more than a second behind the Italian.
It was something of a slow burn, will-they-wont-they affair. Despite several instances of slipstreaming and looking down the inside, Rasmussen was never able to out-accelerate his foe on power from the corners. His relentless attack was identical in power to the stellar defence of the man in red, and so they crossed the line one and two, just as they did in China.
Race three, the live race of the event, was much like its on-track counterpart in 2019. That is to say, overtaking and wheel-to-wheel battles were lurking around every corner. A new driver took the chequered flag for the very first time, in the form of SportPesa Racing Point’s Marcel Kiefer. The overjoyed German went somewhat under the radar in 2018, finishing an excellent fifth overall in the standings, but he never looked like claiming that elusive win.
No longer is that the case. He made his decisive move on then-leader Rasmussen on Lap 11, and was able to build a solid gap after that. There was also a much-needed upturn in fortune for Daniel Bereznay, who made it on to the podium for the first time after a phenomenal battle with points leader Tonizza.
Rain-affected chaos. A hide-and-seek duel. And a pure racing spectacle. Three very different races, three different winners from three different teams, and three reasons to tune in. If you can’t already tell, we are very much ready for Event 3…
In 2018, it was Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Esports duelling with Toro Rosso Esports. But this year, it’s a whole different story. Red Bull Racing Esports are out in front on 109 points, but Ferrari Driver Academy are snapping at their heels with 104 points. And in third, it’s the monstrously-improved Renault Sport Vitality, on 101. Three teams, separated by just eight points. This one’s gonna go all the way down to the final race…
That’s far from the whole story, however, with the midfield hotly contested too. SportPesa Racing Point F1 Esports (64), Alfa Romeo Esports (61) Mercedes (58), Williams (51) and McLaren Shadow (47) are incredibly close too. And with Marcel Kiefer’s Silverstone victory coming from nowhere, don’t be surprised to see any of these teams make the jump to threaten the top three.
Red Bull’s Frede Rasmussen was one of the strongest rivals for Brendon Leigh in 2018. He faded to third overall in the championship that year, but he clearly has no intention of going that quietly this time around. He didn’t taste victory in Event 2, but claiming a P4 and pair of second places meant he had a very consistent round, and has now slashed the gap to leader Tonizza to just 12 points.
The only fault of Rasmussen’s campaign thus far has been his opening race. He, along with Tonizza and Bereznay, was in the hunt for victory in Bahrain. That was until he tagged his front wing on the spinning Bereznay, which cost him vital performance. That non-score has been the only blot on his copybook thus far.
Rasmussen shows a quiet resolve. He sat patiently behind Tonizza in Austria for, more or less, the entire race. A less complete driver might have been tempted to throw a desperate overtake down the inside. But the Dane knew he had a lot to lose. 18 points is a gold bar in terms of Esports currency, and with the gap to the leader now less than that, expect him to strike high in Event 3.
F1 New Balance Esports Pro Series Live Event 3 will be heading your way at 1900 GMT on Wednesday, November 6. You know what to do! Join us here on F1 Esports.com, as well as on YouTube, Facebook, and with selected broadcast partners.
Be sure to join our official F1 Esports Facebook group too, where you can join in the discussion with teams and drivers from the series, as well as catch up with news and video clips.
And finally, you have ONE last chance to make the grid for the 2020 Pro Draft through online qualifying! Our fifth and final event gets under way on Monday November 4, and it takes place at Interlagos, Brazil. This article will be updated in due course as the event goes live.
Make sure you’re signed up and opted in to participate. Even if you don’t make the cut, you’ll still be entered into a prize draw to win two tickets to the 2020 Australian Grand Prix just by completing the scenario – so you have no excuses!
Good luck, and we’ll see you on track.
There are many skills needed to be a champion at any level. And perhaps the most fundamental to anything you set your mind to, is raw talent. In the second episode of âMaking an Esports Championâ, we focus on that key trait, and how it is vital to success on the virtual racetrack.
In Episode 2: âTalentâ, we follow Italian racer Enzo Bonito. He’s now in his second year of the F1 New Balance Esports Pro Series. Add to that a legendary forename like Enzo, and there’s always pressure on his shoulders.
As well as being ultra-quick in Esports, the McLaren Shadow contender is also rapid on asphalt. At the 2019 Race of Champions, he defeated two motorsport champions in the form of Lucas di Grassi and Ryan Hunter-Reay. In Episode 2, we get a glimpse into how he converted his sim-racing talent into real-world racing ability.
Check out the episode as it goes live! Hit up Twitch and YouTube on Wednesday October 16 at 18:00 BST.