F1 Esports 2021: Who will be worth watching?
It was on a stream broadcast by the official Formula account that we discovered the entire 2021 F1 Esports Pro Series field. But then who are the candidates for the title?
Last year the fight for the title was between Red Bull and Alfa Romeo with Renault as an outsider thanks to Nicolas Longuet’s good performances. This year, the top of the table could be set to change following the latest transfers.
Red Bull: The reigning champions
“Do not change a winning team.” This is the philosophy of the Austrian team as they approach the 2021 season. Last year, the winged bulls concluded a very well-controlled season with 13 podium finishes, including 4 victories achieved by Frederik Rasmussen. The Dane was accompanied by Marcel Kiefer. The two drivers finished 2nd and 3rd in the driver’s championship.
On the Red Bull bench, goodbye to Tino Naukkarinen and welcome to Liam Parnell. Although fast, it is unlikely that the German will participate in many races and is rather forced to help his team with the settings.
Red Bull remains the top favorite in 2021 and beating it will be a real feat given the level of its drivers and the resources of the Austrian team.
Mercedes: Back to the top?
World Champion in 2018, Mercedes has never managed to win another title since then. In order to achieve this goal, the German team has acquired the best possible talents and 2021 could well be Mercedes’ year.
The transfer shock was probably the departure of the double champion Brendon Leigh. In his place, it is the defending champion Jarno Opmeer who will try to restore the star brand to its former glory. The Dutchman is probably the fastest sim racer at the moment and is the man to beat in every race.
On his side we can find Dani Moreno, former McLaren driver who is also extremely fast. The very experienced Bono Huis completes a high-quality roster.
McLaren:
At McLaren it was decided to alternate between experience and promising drivers. Dani Bereznay, one of the key figures in Mercedes’ title, after two seasons at Alfa Romeo marked by very good results and great disappointments. For the Hungarian, the objective is simple: to achieve his first crown of his career after coming so close in the last three years. Also, after being under the influence of Brendon Leigh at Mercedes and Jarno Opmeer at Alfa Romeo, he must prove that he can be the leader of a team.
He will have by his side two very promising talents named
Bari Boroumand and Josh Idowu. The former is the 2019 champion of the Challenger Series on PC, which earned him the position of reserve driver at Mercedes in 2020. An uncomfortable position for a driver who proved to be the only rival to Jarno Opmeer during their battle for the championship title in the PSGLF1 League.
Josh Idowu, on the other hand, put on an impressive performance in the Challenger Series by clinching 6 podium finishes, including 3 victories, earning him the 2nd position in the standings.
A promising trio but who will have to learn to play the team game in order to ensure McLaren a good position in the constructor standings, which is the most important since the driver championship does not bring in money.
