Pro Series Event 2 Preview
November 4, 2020
Three down, nine to go. Our next trio of F1 Esports races is here, and we can’t wait to see who comes out on top! November 4-5 will play host to Event 2 of the 2020 F1 Esports Pro Series, presented by Aramco. Here are all the storylines you need to know as we get set…
LAST TIME OUT
Jarno. Opmeer. The runaway winner from our first Event was Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN Esports’ Dutch Dynamo, who came away with two wins and a third place. With the status quo changed, he and team mate Dani Bereznay scored a memorable 1-2 finish in the first race in Bahrain.
Opmeer was then on pole at the brand new Hanoi Street Circuit, which played host to the first incarnation of the digital Vietnam Grand Prix. He could not however hold back reigning champion David Tonizza, who prevailed with a ballsy final-lap pass on Nicolas Longuet.
With two races in the bag, China’s Shanghai International Circuit headed up the third and final race of the event, with Opmeer once again coming out on top, after a string of five overtakes in the final seven laps – arguably the strongest performance hitherto achieved in the series.
The results leave Opmeer with a 24-point gap over second-placed Marcel Kiefer of Red Bull Racing Esports fame. Bereznay and Longuet are third and fourth, with 2020 vice-champion Frede Rasmussen completing the top five.
PLAYING FIELD, LEVELLED
A new frontier, and a new challenge for our drivers. Much like Vietnam in the previous event, the Netherlands gets its first outing in the F1 Esports Pro Series in Event 2. It’s a well-liked circuit among fans and drivers alike, but time will tell who will take the historic Circuit Zandvoort.
After that, it’s on to the Canadian Grand Prix’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This race was a controversial one in 2019, with many drivers incurring penalties for crossing the pit exit line. With this, wet conditions, and some collisions, Cedric Thome emerged on top for Renault Vitality, scoring the team’s first F1 Esports win.
The final race of the event will take place around the Red Bull Ring, which of course played host to two races in the 2020 F1 Season. We’re racing there just once – but if last year’s Pro Series is anything to go by, we’re in for a treat. It was a tense, race-long duel between top two Tonizza and Rasmussen. For several long laps the Dane bided his time ready to pounce – but Tonizza soaked up the pressure lap after lap, and held on for an epic defensive win.
STREAM TIME
As with last time, we have a total of four streams for your viewing pleasure. Qualifying for Round 5 will be shown live on Twitch and YouTube from 15:30 GMT, with highlights of this and Round 4’s qualifying, and both races in full, from 19:30 on Twitch, YouTube, Facebook, and on TV with our broadcast partners around the globe.
It’s the same setup for Thursday too, with full qualifying for Austria shown on Twitch and YouTube, followed by the race and a bried recap of Wednesday, live later in the evening at 19:30. We’ll see you there!