Reigning F1 Esports champion Lucas Blakeley took his first win of the season in Premier Sim Gaming League’s F1 split after a last-lap overtake on Jarno Opmeer.
The Scot took a victory in Bahrain before the invalidated results, but the championship gap reduces to
20 points after Bari Broumand failed to score.
Otis Lawrence completed the podium after a brave move at the final corner on Dani Bereznay was deemed a racing incident by the stewards.
QUALIFYING
In Q1, Thomas Ronhaar was the shock elimination after he decided not to go out for a second timed lap, but track evolution was enough to put him down in 17th.
Patrik Sipos was just ahead, and despite being 0.186 seconds away from the fastest time, he was 16th. Istvan Puki, Josh Idowu, and Matthijs van Erven completed the drop zone.
Nicolas Longuet narrowly missed out on Q3 by 0.030 seconds in the Ferrari, with his former teammate, Fabrizio Donoso, also a shock elimination after his F1 23 form.
The Chilean’s teammate, John Evans, lined up alongside him in 15th. Ruben Pedreno and Wilson Hughes lined up between the two former teammates in an immensely close Q2.
The top-10 shootout saw Lucas Blakeley take the top spot by 0.039 seconds from fellow F1 Esports World Champion Jarno Opmeer, who was nearly eliminated in similar circumstances to Ronhaar in Q1. Bari Broumand completed the top three, full of PSGL PC F1 champions.
Dani Bereznay and Otis Lawrence were within a tenth off pole, starting fourth and fifth. Marcel Kiefer was sixth, ahead of Alfie Butcher, Tom Manley, Alvaro Carreton, and Jake Benham, completing the grid for Round 4 of Season 34.
RACE
There was one main strategy with 15 drivers starting on the softs, Benham and Evans on mediums, and Butcher, Pedreno, and Van Erven on hards. Bereznay got on Broumand off the start, whilst Kiefer’s optimistic move at Brooklands saw him spin to the rear of the field.
Donoso and Idowu made strong progress, making four positions each on the opening lap, with the Chilean making it five after passing Butcher for ninth at Brooklands on Lap 2. The field began to settle down except for the lead constantly changing hands between Blakeley and Opmeer before the pit stops began on Lap 10.
The Dutchman and Bereznay boxed, as did Carreton and Longuet from the front runners, with Blakeley, Broumand, Lawrence, Manley, and Donoso responding the following lap. Blakeley was jumped by Bereznay, whilst Longuet and Carreton made up four spots and into the Top 5.
The order remained the same until Butcher boxed on Lap 16 and began to cut into the advantage of the undercut approaching the leading train. Donoso gained two spots after Carreton and Broumand made contact at the penultimate corner after the Iranian tried to gain a position.
The overtake was penalised post-race, meaning the championship lead scored no points. Lawrence was making strong progress and passed Longuet at the penultimate corner, setting his sights on a potential spot on the podium.
Butcher approached the train on Lap 19 and began his overtake spree at Copse with Carreton helpless. The Englishman attempted a double overtake on Broumand and Manley but came off second-best and lost all momentum and a heap of time.
Lawrence attacked Bereznay after the Hungarian was overtaken by Blakeley at Stowe. Bereznay closed the door resulting in a half spin, after the Welshman produced a switchback at the penultimate corner, dropping him down to fifth behind Longuet.
Onto the final lap, Blakeley opted to stay behind Opmeer until the second DRS despite huge pressure from Lawrence behind and swept past at Stowe to claim his first win of Season 34. Lawrence claimed third after an impressive comeback drive after the pit stops, with Longuet and Bereznay completing the Top 5.
Donoso produced a Driver of the Day performance to take sixth from 14th on the grid, ahead of Benham on the medium-soft strategy, Butcher, Carreton and Manley completing the points.
Next up, a trip to Qatar for Round 5 of the Premier Sim Gaming League top PC tier.
RESULTS
- Lucas Blakeley – McLaren
- Jarno Opmeer – Mercedes
- Otis Lawrence – Red Bull
- Nicolas Longuet– Ferrari
- Dani Bereznay – Haas
- Fabrizio Donoso – Aston Martin
- Jake Benham – Alpha Tauri
- Alfie Butcher – Haas
- Alvaro Carreton – Williams
- Tom Manley – Alpha Tauri
