Williams stages stunning comeback in LMES Autosport qualifier
Williams Esports recovered from dramas on the first and final lap to win the Le Mans Esports Series Autosport Show qualifier.
Twelve sim racing teams were invited to compete for an automatic position in the LMES Super Final, which will be held at this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Williams beat Jean Alesi’s Esports team and defending series champions Veloce Esports to pole position for the two-hour race around Le Mans in 1966 Ford GT40s. A trip through the gravel on the first lap sent Williams tumbling down the order and handed the lead to Alesi’s team.
On the 10th of 32 laps, World’s Fastest Gamer James Baldwin promoted Veloce into the lead. Veloce was unexpectedly handicapped prior to the event when one of its drivers was robbed of his passport before travelling from France to the UK. This meant one its content creators, Haydon Gullis, had to step into the three-driver team.
He took the final stint of the race and despite his valiant efforts, Veloce dropped from the lead to sixth place by the chequered flag.
Williams made the most of Veloce’s misfortune, and by the time of its own final stint, it was in prime position to pounce on Gullis after a remarkable comeback drive. Perhaps even more impressive was how JOTA Esports was able to bounce back from its own opening lap nightmare, which saw Shaun Arnold drop from fourth to last via the gravel trap.
Jacob Bowkett drove JOTA’s final stint and closed to within touching distance of Williams in the final laps of the race.
A small mistake from Williams’ Nikodem Wisniewski left the door open for a final corner lunge from Bowkett. It ultimately left Bowkett facing the wrong way – although he was able to recover to stay in second, ahead of Alesi’s team.
The victory means Wisniewski along with his team-mates Kuba Brzezinski and F1 Esports ace Isaac Price will compete in the Super Final.
Williams will be joined by the top teams from the Pro Series – a five-round qualification series. They will also be joined at Le Mans by a number of amateur drivers. Autosport International attendees have until the end of Sunday to qualify.
The show’s main Esports stage will host the finals of the DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series on Sunday.
Thrustmaster is headline partner for DiRT World finals
Last-stage drama decides DiRT Rally 2.0 World Series at ASI
How an unlikely tie-up won sim racing's biggest prize
An unlikely partnership between World Endurance Championship LMP1 privateers Rebellion Racing and Williams Formula 1's highly-successful sim racing team yielded victory in the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. Here's how it triumphed in the biggest sim race ever staged
How seriously should Esports be taken?
As interest in Esports has increased during the coronavirus lockdown, the lines have become blurred between what's real and what's virtual - especially when some high-profile participants seem to be playing for laughs, says Luke Smith
Why Abt's deception left Audi with no choice
Daniel Abt's suspension by the Audi Formula E team - and possible loss of his drive - for fielding a ringer in an Esports event could be considered an overreaction. But in a wider context, his employers had little other alternative
How Leclerc is embracing his new mission
The emergence of Ferrari F1 driver Charles Leclerc as a Twitch streaming star has been one of the pleasant surprises of lockdown so far. He says it is giving fans a greater insight into his nature, but that's not his primary purpose
Leclerc's Virtual GP annihilation deserves great credit
The introduction of Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, George Russell and Antonio Giovinazzi to Formula 1's Virtual GP last weekend meant it was a step above the franchise's debut two weeks ago. But a dominant performance from Esports newcomer Leclerc stole the show
How the hidden side of being fast has been exposed
The lack of real track action so far this year hasn't stop drivers from keeping their racing brains 'fresh', as former F1 star Stoffel Vandoorne suggested last weekend.
Why entertainment isn't Esports greatest virtue right now
MotoGP's virtual #StayAtHomeGP was a sad reminder of some of the storylines that could be unfolding had the real-life season not been delayed indefinitely by the coronavirus pandemic. While we can bemoan Esports as being a poor relation of the real thing, it has an even more important function to perform
F1’s pantomime Virtual GP is fun but unsustainable
F1 Esports' inaugural Virtual Grand Prix last weekend provided brilliant entertainment to those tuning in to watch a mix of F1 drivers and celebrities battle on track, but was a missed opportunity for marketing its own Esports stars. A change of approach is needed if it is to successfully fill the void until the resumption of proper racing