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Renault test driver and Formula 2 star Guanyu Zhou drove a superb race to take victory at the first ever Formula 1 Virtual Grand Prix on Sunday night.
The Chinese racer made his Formula 2 debut at the circuit in 2019, and only recently took part in Formula 2 testing in Sakhir at the beginning of March. Using the full depths of his knowledge and nous, he was able to cross the line comfortably ahead of the chasing pack.
Former F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne – who also debuted at the track in 2016 – ran an impressive race to finish second overall, just behind poleman and Red Bull athlete Philipp Eng.
YouTuber Jimmy Broadbent crossed the line fourth after an intense last-lap battle with Lando Norris. The two made contact going into the final corner, with Norris dropping behind Broadbent as they crossed the line. Nicholas Latifi made it two F1 drivers in the top six, crossing the line not far behind.
Luca Salvadori showcased his range of talent by finishing seventh, proving his prowess on both two wheels and four. Paul ‘RedEye’ Chaloner wound up P8, with Ferrari Driver Academy protege Dino Beganovic ninth, and Mercedes Reserve Driver Esteban Gutierrez overcame his affinity for the number 11 to round out the top 10. The Mexican made arguably the move of the race on Lap 11, when he dummied past Hulkenberg to move up to P11, only to be re-passed by the Hulk a few corners later. Gutierrez ultimately grabbed the final point of the race after Ferrari protege Robert Shwartzman retired with just a couple of laps to go.
Nico Hulkenberg finished just outside the points on his F1 return. Professional golfer Ian Poulter crossed the line in P14, with Olympian Sir Chris Hoy crossed the line in P15, and singer-songwriter Liam Payne in P16.
You can re-watch the full replay of the event below.
Tune in in two weeks on April 5 to see the next Virtual Grand Prix, which will take place around the Australian Grand Prix circuit in Melbourne. What did you make of the event? Who was your star performer? Let us know on social media using #VirtualGP!
