Bahrain Virtual Grand Prix result: Guanyu Zhou wins inaugural F1 eSports race cut short by technical problems
Inaugural Virtual Grand Prix had to be cut in half due to technical issues but provides plenty of drama as F2 prospect makes history with online victory
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Your support makes all the difference.Guangu Zhou made history by winning the first Formula One Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix on a chaotic and technically-challenging night, as live motorsport returned to screens amid the coronavirus crisis.
Teething issues with the event could not mask the fact that F1 was attempting to bring a bit of light relief at a hugely difficult time, with the outbreak of Covid-19 currently sweeping the world and causing nearly all sport to be cancelled due to health concerns.
As a result, F1 have committed to running a Virtual Grand Prix each race weekend, with the first taking place at the Bahrain International Circuit. Unfortunately, the short-notice left many F1 stars unable to compete, leaving only Lando Norris and Nicholas Latifi as the only current drivers on the grid. But they were made up with a host of famous names, with former drivers Nico Hulkenberg, Stoffel Vandoorne, Anthony Davidson and Johnny Herbert all competing, while the more well-known names from outside of the sport featured Olympian Sir Chris Hoy and former One Direction star Liam Payne.
However, a lengthy delay that saw Norris unable to take part in qualifying meant that the race was cut to 25 per cent distance, leaving a 14-lap shootout rather than the 28-lap scheduled Grand Prix, and the technical gremlins returned when the current McLaren star was booted out of the race on the formation lap.
A lightning start from Herbert resulted in a 10-second time penalty as he cut the first corner to take the lead, but the veteran could not hold on as Philip Eng and Zhou quickly passed him to battle for the lead. Zhou elected to pit early, and utilised the undercut to take a healthy lead when the stops cycled through, leading by more than nine second and take the chequered flag. Eng lost second place on the penultimate lap to a charging Vandoorne, and although Norris was able to make a late charge when he reconnected to the session, his hopes of salvaging fourth ended in a collision with Jimmy Broadbent at the final corner, leaving him down in fifth.
The series will return in two weeks' time, with F1 set to announce a random venue to replace the postponed Vietnamese Grand Prix.
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'Not The Bah GP'
Norris goes hot into turn one, locks up and hits the back of Steve Brown in the battle for second. But the two remain on track and Norris gets past the Ferrari to move up to second.
'Not The Bah GP'
Norris gets a five-second penalty for speeding into the pit lane, as six drivers come in at the same time.
'Not The Bah GP'
Berezney is making swift progress as he's up to seventh and the first of those who have pitted ... he spins! Berezney loses it on the entry to turn nine, and that drops him down to ninth!
'Not The Bah GP'
The question is how far will Berezney recover to? He's currently in fourth after getting by Norris, but with three fellow sim racers in front it's going to be a difficult ask.
'Not The Bah GP'
Berezney gets by Opmeer and moves into the top three. He has 4.3s to second-placed James Baldwin, with four full laps remaining.
'Not The Bah GP'
Broadent, WillNe and Aarav Amin are in a tight battle for eighth, and Amin divebombs WillNe going into the hairpin that results in the McLaren man getting punted off and losing a handful of positions.
'Not The Bah GP'
Berezney is not making any in-roads into the top two, and the first three positions may well prove to end like this come the chequered flag in three laps' time.
'Not The Bah GP'
With two laps remaining it's all about the battle for eighth, with Latifi right on the back of Amin with Broadbent also in the mix.
'Not The Bah GP'
Latifi gets past through turn one, but loses the position through a brilliant fight that rages from turn one to turn five, with Amin holding position with a committed move out of four. Latifi gets back past though into 11, and that wont be the end of it with DRS on the home straight.
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