Toro Rosso’s Rasmussen halts Leigh’s domination of F1 2018 opener
Mercedes Esports duo Brendon Leigh and Daniel Bereznay starred in the first three races of the F1 Esports Pro Series, but it was Toro Rosso’s Frederik Rasmussen who grabbed a last-ditch victory in the final event.
Leigh controlled the first race, held at Melbourne’s Albert Park, from pole position with Bereznay finishing a close second on the road – which became sixth following a time penalty for speeding in the pits.
Reigning champion Leigh started the second race – at the Shanghai International Circuit – from fifth on the grid after a difficult rain-affected qualifying. He made his mandatory pitstop late in the race and fought his way past Force India duo Fabrizio Donoso Delgado and Marcel Kiefer, as well as Bereznay, to take a superb second win and lead home a Mercedes 1-2.
In the third and final race of the day, around the Baku Street Circuit, Toro Rosso’s Rasmussen engaged in a stunning battle with Leigh and Bereznay in the closing stages. Leigh passed Rasmussen at the start of the last lap, but missed the apex of the final corner.
Rasmussen was then able to slipstream past in the race to the finish line, ahead of the Mercedes duo.
Williams’s Tino Naukkarainen (second at Albert Park), Red Bull’s Joni Tormala (third at Albert Park) and Kiefer were the other podium finishers of the night.
The results give Leigh and Mercedes a healthy points advantage in both drivers’ and teams’ championships, with three of the 10 races completed.
Report by Craig Woollard
Previous article
Top online racers head to Fuji for Le Mans Esports
Next article
Showdown at Fuji looms for Le Mans Esports racers
About this article
| Series | Esports |
Live: World RX Esports Series – Grand Finals
Live: DiRT Rally World Series – Grand Finals
How an unlikely tie-up won sim racing's biggest prize
An unlikely partnership between World Endurance Championship LMP1 privateers Rebellion Racing and Williams Formula 1's highly-successful sim racing team yielded victory in the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. Here's how it triumphed in the biggest sim race ever staged
How seriously should Esports be taken?
As interest in Esports has increased during the coronavirus lockdown, the lines have become blurred between what's real and what's virtual - especially when some high-profile participants seem to be playing for laughs, says Luke Smith
Why Abt's deception left Audi with no choice
Daniel Abt's suspension by the Audi Formula E team - and possible loss of his drive - for fielding a ringer in an Esports event could be considered an overreaction. But in a wider context, his employers had little other alternative
How Leclerc is embracing his new mission
The emergence of Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc as a Twitch streaming star has been one of the pleasant surprises of lockdown so far. He says it is giving fans a greater insight into his nature, but that's not his primary purpose
Leclerc's Virtual GP annihilation deserves great credit
The introduction of Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, George Russell and Antonio Giovinazzi to Formula 1's Virtual GP last weekend meant it was a step above the franchise's debut two weeks ago. But a dominant performance from Esports newcomer Leclerc stole the show
How the hidden side of being fast has been exposed
The lack of real track action so far this year hasn't stop drivers from keeping their racing brains 'fresh', as former F1 star Stoffel Vandoorne suggested last weekend.
Why entertainment isn't Esports greatest virtue right now
MotoGP's virtual #StayAtHomeGP was a sad reminder of some of the storylines that could be unfolding had the real-life season not been delayed indefinitely by the coronavirus pandemic. While we can bemoan Esports as being a poor relation of the real thing, it has an even more important function to perform
F1’s pantomime Virtual GP is fun but unsustainable
F1 Esports' inaugural Virtual Grand Prix last weekend provided brilliant entertainment to those tuning in to watch a mix of F1 drivers and celebrities battle on track, but was a missed opportunity for marketing its own Esports stars. A change of approach is needed if it is to successfully fill the void until the resumption of proper racing
