F1 Esports 2019: Summary of the First Three Races

First race: Bahrain

Expected as the big favorite this year, Frederik Rasmussen confirmed his status by starting from the pole position by 13 thousandths. He was just ahead of Daniel Bereznay, who, after being vice-champion last year, was determined to prove he could capture the crown this year. Especially since he now drives for a very good team, namely Alfa Romeo.

The poleman got off to a terrible start and found himself relegated to 3rd place by the first corner. Having led the race for 6 laps, the Hungarian driver from Alfa Romeo was overtaken on the first lap by David Tonizza driving his Ferrari. The race then took a whole new turn. Defending the inside approaching turn number 4, Berznay braked far too late, hit the car in front of him, resulting in a spin and damage to Rasmussen’s wing.

The mistakes of others fully benefited Tonizza, who was determined to win Ferrari’s first race in the world of Esports. Meanwhile, the Danish driver from Red Bull tried to navigate through the melee but without much success. At the wheel of his red car, Tonizza just made history by securing the first victory of the season for the Scuderia, ahead of the top competitors who finished out of the points.

Second race: Shanghai

This time, it was Daniel Bereznay who occupied the first place on the grid. Behind him were Marcel Kiefer, and the other Alfa Romeo of Saltunc. The reigning world champion, Brendon Leigh, was only 8th on the grid, behind Rasmussen.

Sensing a big internal battle beginning, Bereznay preferred not to get involved in this little game and instead let his teammate lead the race by pitting as early as the third lap.

In the 7th lap, Tonizza, tired of being second and hungry for a second victory, bluffed the one ahead by feigning an overtaking move on the outside, only to undercut him at the exit of turn number 14. Overwhelmed by misfortune, the Hungarian even lost all chances of finishing in the points due to a brake pedal issue. Despite all his efforts, Rasmussen could not prevent a second victory for Ferrari and Tonizza.

Course 3: Baku

The grand finale of this first round was finally here. Who can stop the winning streak of Ferrari and its star driver David Tonizza? The answer might well be the Williams. Sandwiched between Rasmussen and the Italian in 2nd and 3rd positions, the English team was very well placed to score big points in the championship. As for Alfa Romeo, their settings didn’t seem to suit the track as both drivers from the Veloce team only qualified 13th and 14th.

From the start, Carreton lost his third place to the Ferrari. There were no position changes to report for the first two.

The race, which had been relatively calm until now, took a different turn when the Spanish Williams driver dove into the pits too quickly. He then received a 5-second penalty. A heavy sanction, as the race format is 25%, which means about fifteen laps.

The two leaders pit on the same lap but unfortunately for Tino Naukkarinen, he exits with several cars between him and Rasmussen. One of the drivers in front of him is none other than Jorni Tormala, the other driver for the Austrian team. The Finn was particularly held back by his compatriot, who perfectly played the role of the second driver.

With more than a 3-second lead, Rasmussen triumphed against Naukkarinen. Tonizza surprised once again by finishing on the podium for the third time. He is the only driver on the grid to have achieved this feat. However, a big disappointment for Carreton, who missed the podium and finished in 6th place.