Formula One Esports: The Grand Finals

Formula One Esports: 

Jarno Opmeer, Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen F1 Esports, led the drivers standings with 153-points. Only 19-points separated him from Red Bull Racing Esports driver, Frederik Ramussen on 134pts.

The constructors championship was extremely tight where 32-points separated Red Bull  (255pts) and Alfa Romeo (223pts).

Japanese Grand Prix

Nicholas Longuet, Renault Vitality, overtook Rasmussen at the first corner to give the Renault driver the lead of the Japanese Grand Prix. Marcel Kiefer, Red Bull, continued to maintain his starting position as he faced a three-place grid penalty during the earlier qualifying session.

However, David Tonizza, Ferrari esports, pitted very early on the fourth lap to swap his soft compound tyres for the mediums. Opmeer attempted to extend his initial stint on his medium tyres in the hope he can go full send near the end of the race.

Kiefer, easily cleared Tonizza on the Suzuka pit straight, as the Red Bull driver nearly rear ended the Ferrari into the final chicane. Opmeer put Manuel Biancolilla, Scuderia Alpha Tauri Esports, under pressure as the drivers ventured around 130R and into the final chicane.

But the Alfa Romeo driver managed to avoid contact, remaining in the powerful slipstream of the Alpha Tauri down the pit straight.  This allowed him to breeze past Biancolilla. The championship leader, Opmeer, overtook a struggling Tonizza down into the first turn as he switched his focus onto Kiefer in P4. But the Esports driver had to allow time, and critical laps, to recharge his drained battery.

Rasmussen finally overtook Longuet down into turn one, a corner pivotal for many overtakes in this race, and took the lead of the race in the penultimate lap. Despite Kiefer’s best efforts to defend against Opmeer, the Alfa Romeo driver managed to take P4 from the Red Bull into turn one.

Podium:

1. Frederik Rasmussen (Red Bull)

2. Nicholas Longuet (Renault)

3. Daniele Haddad (Racing Point)

Ice in those veins!!! @G2Frede wins at Suzuka!!!! What an overtake to clinch victory ?? #F1Esports ??pic.twitter.com/Ek8wWl8Hmg

— Red Bull Racing Esports (@redbullracingES) December 16, 2020

Mexican Grand Prix

It was an intense start for the championship as Opmeer and Rasmussen fought over the lead of the race. But the Mexican track took its first victim when Tonizza got taken out at the first chicane, on the first lap.

Kiefer solidified his team’s position in the constructors championship as he overtook Dani Bereznay, Alfa Romeo, into the first turn on the sixth lap. When the race moved into the seventh lap, Longuet suddenly fell out of the points with an unclear cause.

Casper Jansen (Renault) fought for P9 against Haddad into the second straight. The Racing Point driver however, bit back and went wheel-to-wheel with the Renault driver into the tight second sector. But, Jansen managed to regain his position before he had to ‘thread the needle’ in the snaking section of the track.

Kiefer fell out of the points as he attempted to complete an undercut. But, as Rasmussen filtered back into the race, after he pitted the following lap, he ended up behind a train of cars. Opmeer pitted on lap 13 in an attempt to stay ahead but ended up behind both Red Bull’s and the Mercedes Esports driver, Brendon Leigh as he rejoined the race.

Kiefer locked up in the first chicane as Opmeer completed his lunge over Leigh, this put the Red Bull driver under pressure from the Alfa Romeo driver into the second DRS straight.

Final Laps

While Jansen DNF’d out of the race, Rasmussen told his team he suffered damage to his car. This allowed the Alfa Romeo driver to apply pressure to his championship rival, as the driver’s weaved through the second sector. Opmeer eventually took the lead of the race on lap 19 at the first corner. As it stood, the result would have put the Alfa Romeo driver 13-points clear of his championship rival.

Leigh overtook Kiefer into the first corner of the 23rd lap in the penultimate race of the Esports season, which put the falling Red Bull under pressure with Bereznay. He overtook the Red Bull driver in the end, at the same corner in the lap that followed.

However, Leigh moved up higher on the ladder as he managed to overtake Rasmussen into the first turn. Even despite the Red Bull’s best attempts to defend from the Mercedes Esports driver.

Podium:

1. Jarno Opmeer (Alfa Romeo)

2. Brendon Leigh (Mercedes)

3. Frederik Rasmussen (Red Bull)

By the end, both the constructor’s and driver’s championships will go down to the wire. Tomorrow is the final race at Brazil’s Interlagos.

Jarno Opmeer on top once again!

The Dutchman puts himself within touching distance of the title, with his fourth win of the season in Mexico ?#F1Esports ? #F1 @Aramco pic.twitter.com/F77uhNCY4R

— Formula 1 (@F1) December 16, 2020

We hope you enjoyed this article ‘Formula One Esports: The Grand Finals.’ Who do you think will win the Formula One Esports race in Brazil? Let us know!

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