#F1 Esports Series Pro Championship: Longuet cruises to victory in Round 10 at Suzuka as Ronhaar closes on Blakeley

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F1 Esports Series Pro Championship: Longuet cruises to victory in Round 10 at Suzuka as Ronhaar closes on Blakeley

Alfa Romeo’s Nicolas Longuet took an emphatic victory at Suzuka on Wednesday evening, claiming his first win since 2020, with the Grand Final of the 2022 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship Grand Final well under way. The Frenchman started on the front row of the grid alongside ever-present qualifying expert Thomas Ronhaar, but using the superior grip of the medium tyres he got the jump and won the race down to Turn 1. Ronhaar was a threat for the closing stages and may have even taken a third win of 2022, if not for some defensive driving from Jake Benham, which allowed Longuet to build more of a lead. READ MORE: Who will be crowned champion in the final 3 events of the thrilling 2022 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship? Longuet and team mate Dani Bereznay were two of just three drivers to start on the mediums – the other being Alpine’s Patrik Sipos – and before long Bereznay made it an Alfa one-two, surpassing Ronhaar for second on Lap 4. After building a huge lead, Longuet ditched his mediums in favour of the hards on Lap 12. A few laps later, Ronhaar did the opposite, and emerged with the gap to P1 halved. Ronhaar, however, was held up massively by the Mercedes of Jake Benham, who toured the circuit on his old tyres, refusing to let the title contender through. The chaos reached its pinnacle on Lap 19, first with Bereznay spinning out of the points. Simon Weigang, Daniele Haddad and Joni Tormala then got tangled up, dropping all three of them from the fringes of the top 10. Out in front, Ronhaar finally got past the wall of Benham, but it was too late, and the Dutchman ran out of laps to catch his rival. Behind the top two, Frede Rasmussen had a quiet ascent to P3, putting himself back in title contention. McLaren Shadow pairing Lucas Blakeley and Bari Boroumand took top-five finishes, earning the squad their first teams’ championship. Brendon Leigh, Sebastian Job, Matthijs van Erven, Fabrizio Donoso and Marcel Kiefer completed the points. BEYOND THE GRID: Enjoy the best moments from 2022, featuring Vettel, Russell, Sainz and more Outside championship contender Jarno Opmeer failed to finish the race. Already compromised by getting knocked out in Q1, his race through the pack was halted when he spun racing Donoso. Devastated, he retired from the session, and now sits 34 points off the title lead – improbable, but not impossible. In the drivers’ standings, Ronhaar is just five points behind Blakeley, with Rasmussen a further 14 points off the lead. The action resumes on Thursday evening, when we’re off to Interlagos, Brazil. Join us from 1530 UTC for the qualifying show, with the race beginning at 1900 UTC. Head to the official F1 Esports website for more information. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

#F1 #F1 Esports Series Pro Championship: Longuet cruises to victory in Round 10 at Suzuka as Ronhaar closes on Blakeley #Formula 1

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F1 Esports Series Pro Championship: Longuet cruises to victory in Round 10 at Suzuka as Ronhaar closes on Blakeley

F1 Esports Series Pro Championship: Longuet cruises to victory in Round 10 at Suzuka as Ronhaar closes on Blakeley

Alfa Romeo’s Nicolas Longuet took an emphatic victory at Suzuka on Wednesday evening, claiming his first win since 2020, with the Grand Final of the 2022 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship Grand Final well under way. The Frenchman started on the front row of the grid alongside ever-present qualifying expert Thomas Ronhaar, but using the superior grip of the medium tyres he got the jump and won…

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F1 Esports Series Pro Championship: Lucas Blakeley dominates in Brazil to put one hand on the trophy

McLaren Shadow’s Lucas Blakeley put on a masterful performance around Interlagos on Thursday evening to score his fourth win of 2022, and with it, put himself within a few points of claiming championship glory. The speedy Scot started from pole position, after an intense qualifying session which saw him and nearest title rival Thomas Ronhaar post identical lap times, both setting a 1:06.674. However, a three-place penalty for Ronhaar meant it was an all-Papaya front row. READ MORE: Longuet cruises to victory in Round 10 at Suzuka as Ronhaar closes on Blakeley A perfect launch from Blakeley and team mate Bari Boroumand set the standard for the first half of the race, with nobody risking too much in wet conditions. Halfway through the changeover came, with the leaders swapping their intermediate tyres for slicks between Laps 16-18. Luke Smith had his moment in the sun, staying out later than anyone on the inters to lead a couple of laps. This provided an opportunity for Frede Rasmussen to pull a ‘Zonta’ on him and Boroumand, getting past both at Turn 1. But it was short-lived, as Boroumand re-took the position on Lap 26. They switched one final time on Lap 33, with Rasmussen denying a McLaren Shadow 1-2. Ronhaar had closed the gap to Blakeley on Wednesday to just five points, but a frustrating evening saw him stuck behind Suzuka winner Nicolas Longuet, and Fabrizio Donoso, unable to get past. While his competitors fought amongst themselves, Blakeley was in total control out in front, crossing the line three seconds clear of Rasmussen in second. Boroumand made it a McLaren 1-3, with Longuet and Donoso not budging ahead of Ronhaar. Ex-Mercedes-now-Alfa Romeo driver Dani Bereznay claimed seventh, with current Mercedes racers Jarno Opmeer and Jake Benham P8 and P9. Sebastian Job rounded out the points. READ MORE: F1 Esports Series Pro Championship – Opmeer wins at COTA in Round 9 State of play Blakeley now sits on top with four wins, and 169 points. Rasmussen moves up into second place, with 148, and Ronhaar is one point further back on 147. These three are mathematically the only drivers now capable of scooping the title in Abu Dhabi, but with a 21-point gap to Rasmussen, it’s looking more like a case of when, not if. One thing is for absolutely certain – we will have a brand-new champion come Friday evening. Join us to find out who it is, with qualifying live from 1530 UTC on Twitch and YouTube, and the race from 1930 UTC. Head to the official F1 Esports website for more information. via Formula 1 News https://www.formula1.com

#F1 #F1 Esports Series Pro Championship: Lucas Blakeley dominates in Brazil to put one hand on the trophy #Formula 1