2019 Formula 1 New Balance Esports Pro Series: Event 2 Recap

Haas F1 Team Esports was unable to add to its tally of eight points, as the 2019 New Balance F1 Esports Pro Series reached the half-way mark on Wednesday.

With all races being run at a quarter of the distance of their Formula 1 counterparts, qualifying is key in the F1 Esports Pro Series.

However after being unable to claim a top 10 start in any of the races, it worked against the Haas racers, despite them making progress through the field on each of the three circuits.

Event: Canada (Round 4 of 12) – 18 laps

Location: Gilles Villeneuve Circuit, Montreal

Race Winner: Cedric Thome of Renault Sport Team Vitality

Team Result: Floris Wijers started 16^th, finished 17^th

Jan Fehler started 19^th, Finished 15^th

The Canadian leg of the series began in the dry but quickly switched to wetter conditions early in the race. The Haas duo pitted on the same lap for intermediate tires which caused a slight delay to Jan Fehler, who exited at the back of the field.

The German climbed positions as the race went on, eventually being classified 15^th, with team mate Floris Wijers finishing 17^th.

Cedric Thome clinched victory for Renault Sport Team Vitality, after time penalties were applied to Teemu Naukkarinen and Freddie Rasmussen.

Event: Austria (Round 5 of 12) – 18 laps

Location: Red Bull Ring, Spielberg

Race Winner: David Tonizza of Ferrari Driver Academy

Team Result: Floris Wijers started 16^th, finished 19^th

Jan Fehler started 19^th, Finished 13^th

At the Red Bull Ring, the Haas drivers ran line astern for much of the race, with Fehler making up six positions from his grid start, to eventually finish 13^th. After receiving a 10-second time penalty, Wijers was classified 19^th.

Championship leader David Tonizza secured his third win of the 2019 F1 Esports Pro Series, adding to victories in Bahrain and China last time out.

Event: Great Britain (Round 6 of 12) – 13 laps

Location: Silverstone Circuit

Race Winner: Marcel Kiefer of SportPesa Racing Point Esports Team

Team Result: Floris Wijers started 13^th, finished 11^th

Martin Stefanko started 19^th, Finished 13^th

Wijers made a storming start in the final race of the day, rising from 13^th to 10^th on the opening lap to climb into the points. After pitting at the end of lap 6, the Dutchman lost two positions to those who had stopped earlier. He did make up another position in the closing stages but was unable to climb back into the top 10.

Martin Stefanko was handed his first start of the 2019 season for the Silverstone event and made up six places in the race; climbing to 13^th from an initial grid position of 19^th.

SportPesa Racing Point Esports Team’s Marcel Kiefer passed Red Bull Esports’ Freddie Rasmussen late in the race to claim the victory. It was the German’s first win in the F1 Esports Pro Series.

Haas F1 Team Esports remains in ninth position in the team standings, level on eight points with 10^th placed Toro Rosso Esports Team. They trail eighth placed McLaren Shadow by 39 points.