ROWE Racing’s Verhagen dominates Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series opener at Imola
ROWE Racing produced the fantastic start off to its Fanatec GT Entire world Obstacle Europe Powered by AWS marketing campaign at Imola earlier this night when Neil Verhagen scored a commanding Fanatec Esports GT Professional Sequence victory on Assetto Corsa Competizione.
The virtual race’s sole BMW M4 GT3 conquer Nicki Thiim’s Beechdean AMR Aston Martin by 26s to top rated a podium completed by Attempto Racing’s Juuso Puhakka (Audi).
At the rear of, his staff-mate Alex Aka scored utmost actual-world Silver class teams’ championship details in the sister Audi soon after building the most of Yuki Nemoto’s mid-race pitstop drama. The Vincenzo Sospiri Racing driver fought back to assert the final podium position powering reigning champions Madpanda Motorsport and Ezequiel Companc.
VERHAGEN SERVES Detect WITH LIGHTS-TO-FLAG VICTORY
BMW’s esports arm is arguably the most significant-profile of any GT3 company, and Verhagen – with the support of professional sim racer Nils Naujoks guiding the scenes – proved it with pole placement, fastest lap and victory on his, ROWE Racing’s and the M4’s Fanatec Esports GT Pro Sequence debut.
Even Nemoto, who capable .167s powering the BMW Junior, found himself seven seconds behind by the time the pit window opened following 25 minutes. The Japanese driver’s all round and course victory prospects evaporated quickly after when his Lamborghini stopped at pit out soon after completing its necessary quit.
That briefly promoted Dani Juncadella to 2nd, but the Akkodis ASP Group driver was just about straight away with a 30s quit-go penalty for pitlane rushing.
Instead, it was Thiim who began seventh but was running fourth by the stop of lap two who inherited 2nd area. The Beechdean AMR ace put in most of the opening stint tucked up behind Juncadella but fell back again a minimal right before the 10-minute window opened. In the long run, it would not issue.
Juuso Puhakka, who received outright at Barcelona last period, celebrated his switch to the Pro class with a reasonably lonely operate to the last podium area aboard Attempto’s new Evo II spec Audi. He was not able to strain Thiim, who finished 5 seconds in advance, but also ready to retain his group-mate Aka at arm’s size.
Staff WRT’s Dries Vanthoor held his nose clear to rise from ninth to fifth, whilst Companc taken care of his penchant for esports podium appearances by completing the all round best-6 and finishing next in the Silver class.
The remaining serious-earth Pro level went to Iron Lynx’s Nicklas Nielsen in the sole Ferrari.
Guiding, Nemoto rallied following his pitstop situation to assert the ultimate Silver course rostrum location at the price of Brendon Leitch (Leipert Motorsport). And Emil Frey picked up the final class position courtesy of Konsta Lappalainen.
Round 2 of the Fanatec Esports GT Professional Collection usually takes location at Paul Ricard on June 3-5.
