The wait is over. Finally the F1 Esports Series Pro 2021 championship, sponsored by Aramco, kicked off in style at simultaneous venues in China and Bahrain. Lucas Blakeley of the Aston Martin team secured an emotional victory after a hard-fought battle in the Sakhir desert, while defending champion Janro Opmeer executed a great race strategy to come out on top in Shanghai.
Blakeley had taken several podium finishes without being able to achieve victory. However, at the start of this new season, things changed when the Scotsman took his first win under a great show in Bahrain.
Pole winner Nicolas Longuet was overtaken by Blakeley at the start, and the latter took a lead that he would protect for most of the race. However, the fast-moving battle for the lead reached a critical point on lap 17, when Longuet took the lead.
Read also: The Drone Racing League Prepares a Big Show in Las Vegas for Final Race
For two laps, Blakeley was behind the Frenchman, before retaking the lead on lap 19. Alvaro Carreton, third, took advantage of the action on the final lap and almost slipped into second place, but despite a few overtaking attempts, Blakeley held the lead over Longuet and Carreton.
The Reigning Champion led Race 2 in China
Defending champion, Jarno Opmeer, showed why he carries the crown. The Dutchman took the honors in China, followed by new Mercedes AMG Petronas Esports teammate, Dani Moreno.
Meanwhile, Bari Boroumand put in a strong performance to finish sixth on his McLaren debut, ahead of Red Bull Racing Esports duo Frede Rasmussen and Marcel Kiefer. David Tonizza from FDA Esports and Fabrizio Donoso for Alpine completed the points-accumulating part of the table.
Opmeer needed a minor miracle to salvage something from Race 2 in China, after qualifying in a dismal 14th place, but the star of the Netherlands did not disappoint. With a wet start, the entire field went off on rain tires, but Opmeer opted for intermediates, a move in which he pulled out all the stops on lap 5 when most of his rivals pitted.
While his rivals changed tires, Opmeer made the most of his advantages, and by the time the leaders pitted, he was in the clear. From 18th place on lap 1, he led the race by half distance.
From lap 17, after a fight with Donoso, it was a comfortable victory for Opmeer, who also overtook Blakeley and Boroumand. Brendon Leigh got on the board for FDA Esports in sixth place, ahead of Daniele Haddad from Aston Martin in seventh. Moreno came home eighth, with Williams’ Michael Romanidis and Alfa Romeo Racing’s Filip Prensajder completing the grid.
Closing Day One
After an epic night of racing that will go down in the history books, Event 1 of the nascent F1 Esports season concludes this Thursday, with the qualifying and race show at 19:30, from the Red Bull Ring in Austria as the venue.
The exciting contest will be streamed on the competition’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitch channels.
Written by I Jhonattan González
