WATCH: James Baldwin analyses 2023 Le Mans Virtual qualifying lap

It’s that time of year again when we sit down to watch preeminent sim racer James Baldwin compare and contrast his qualifying performance for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual with another.

Last year it was against Max Verstappen, this time it was with two-time Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup champion Joshua Rogers.

In the first qualifying session, Baldwin placed the AMG Team Petronas Esports LMP in seventh, just missing out on the top-six Hyperpol session by a scant 0.172s.

Quickest in that same session was Rogers, a massive 0.7s quicker than his nearest competitor. He would go on to place the #20 Porsche Conanda in pole position during the aforementioned Hyperpole, although that time, the gap was a smaller 0.2s.

“The exit they get out of Turn 3 there is just ridiculous, I didn’t understand that,” says Baldwin in the video, when comparing the opening session’s laps.

“I guess things just came together,” says Rogers to Traxion.GG when asked about the qualifying time.

“I mean, we found some things, on the out lap. Nothing spectacular, nothing special. Really very simple.

“But it looked like no one else was really doing it.”

Both Baldwin and Rogers will line up on the grid for Mercedes-AMG and Porsche Coanda respectively in the new ESL R1 championship, starting in February.

Watch Baldwin’s video on his YouTube Channel or embedded at the top of this article to hear his full analysis.