The Racing Unleashed Esports Racer League title race has set alight with three rounds remaining, as both Michal Šmídl and Coque López made significant ground on erstwhile championship leader Alejandro Sánchez.
The fifth round of the series, with CHF 10,000 on the line for the overall winner, headed to a virtual Algarve International Circuit (aka Portimão) on Assetto Corsa – as ever, each driver participating in a motion simulator in-person at a Racing Unleashed lounge.
In the one-lap shootout qualifying format, it was López who claimed his first pole position (outside of reverse grids) of the season, just 0.068 ahead of Vojtech Polesny. Multiple podium finisher and another title contender, Siro Zambra, lined up fourth.
Sánchez qualified fifth, but Šmídl was down in seventh for the 23-lap race.
As the race began, López pulled off a scorching start, claiming a two-car-length gap immediately. The Spanish driver would never look back, managing the gap throughout the race to win with consummate ease.
“I don’t know if I should call it easy as just keeping a constant pace at this circuit is a challenge, and this is much better than Silverstone because I was starting pole because of my own achievement,” said López.
“I’m very happy to claim the pole and keep up the pace to win the race.”
Elsewhere, the other title protagonists made moves initially – Sánchez up to fourth and Šmídl up to sixth on the opening lap. Zambra lost our, however, dropping down to seventh.
By the third lap, the then-title leader claimed third from Enrique Maranon. The compatriots would then continue their battle lap after lap, until, in a pivotal moment, the two came to blows.
At the first corner of Lap 9, Maranon went to overtake around the outside, which seemed possible, until the Apex Racing Team driver on the inside clipped the kerb. The resulting bounce, and following contact, span both cars.
Maranon dropped to fifth and Sánchez to a lowly 11th, as Šmídl drove by into fourth.
Zambra then got by Maranon a lap later for fifth, only for the Spaniard to fight back on Lap 18. Zambra would fall to eighth by the chequered flag (upgraded to seventh following a penalty for Polesny), while Sánchez could only recover to 10th, but then a penalty for the contact dropped him back to 11th.
Not content with his rivals faltering, Šmídl made some later race moves to claim second place.
Firstly, he passed Janik Pletscher down the start and finish straight to take third and then one tour later, pulled off a similar move on Vojtech Polesny for the runner-up spot.
Pletscher made the most of a perturbed Polesny to take third at the Torre Vip hairpin soon after.
It leaves the title race finely poised, especially after López was also victorious in Round 4.
In the supporting Challenger League, for slower cars and the chance to enter the Racer League next season, Salva Talens was victorious. Mario Stanic and Unai Maroto completed the rostrum.
The sixth round will be held on 15th March, with the races counting down and the championship fight hotting up.
Racing Unleashed Esports Series 2024/25, Racer League, Race 5 results
- Coque López
- Michal Šmídl
- Janik Pletscher
- Enrique Maranon
- Sebastian Hirsch
- Angelo Michel
- Siro Zambra
- Florian Hasse
- Vojtech Polesny
- Marcos Valverde
Racing Unleashed Esports Series 2024/25, Challenger League, Race 5 results
- Salva Talens
- Mario Stanic
- Unai Maroto
- David Wuethrich
- Melvin Leuppi
- Guzman Miguelez
- Nikolaj Rogivue
- Adrian Gomez
- Tim Potzmader
- Timothy Sperisen
Racing Unleashed Esports Series 2024/25, Racer League, Championship standings after Race 5
- Michal Šmídl – 81 pts
- Alejandro Sánchez – 74 pts
- Coque López – 64 pts
- Siro Zambra – 50 pts
- Janik Pletscher – 46 pts
- Vojtech Polesny – 41 pts
- Angelo Michel – 40 pts
- Enrique Maranon – 32 pts
- Sebastian Hirsch – 30 pts
- Christoph Holstein – 30 pts
Racing Unleashed Esports Series 2024/25, Challenger League, Championship standings after Race 5
- Salva Talens – 150 pts
- Mario Stanic – 52 pts
- Guzman Miguelez – 51 pts
- David Wüthrich – 42 pts
- Nikolaj Rogivue – 42 pts
- Adrian Gomez – 42 pts
- Unai Maroto – 41 pts
- Timothy Sperisen – 39 pts
- Tim Potzmader – 27 pts
- Melvin Leuppi – 25 pts
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