Williams Racing’s George Russell and Nicholas Latifi are the headline names taking part in this weekend’s Virtual British Grand Prix, the second of three special F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix events, as the teams compete to win a share of a $100,000 charity prize pot to donate to their nominated causes.
Alex Albon, Red Bull Racing Test and Reserve Driver and Wings for Life ambassador, secured a P4 finish in last weekend’s event, and will line up alongside Red Bull Junior team member Liam Lawson this Sunday. Enzo Fittipaldi took a dramatic win in the Virtual Austrian Grand Prix and will be hoping for more of the same when he returns for Haas, with his brother Pietro.
Despite Callum Ilott finishing runner-up in the 2020 Formula 2 season, running for Alfa Romeo in F1’s post-season Abu Dhabi test and very nearly making his Free Practice 1 debut at the Eifel Grand Prix with Haas, there was to be no promotion to a Formula 1 race seat for the Briton in 2021. But Ilott will still keep his F1 eye in with FP1 outings this season, according to the Scuderia’s Team Principal Mattia Binotto.
While 2020 Formula 2 champion Mick Schumacher graduates to Formula 1 with Haas this year – where he’ll be paired with fifth-place finisher in the 2020 standings, Nikita Mazepin – for Ilott, a test driver role with Ferrari for this season beckons, as the team prepare their 2022 car while simultaneously honing their 2021 machine, set to be called the SF21.
Enzo Fittipaldi, grandson of two-time Formula 1 champion Emerson, has claimed the first Virtual Grand Prix victory of 2021, the Haas driver – racing with his brother Pietro, who finished P5 – winning out from Stoffel Vandoorne around a virtual Red Bull Ring.
After starting down in P9, the Brazilian driver – who competed in FIA Formula 3 last year – weaved his way through the jostling pack to claim Haas’ first Virtual Grand Prix victory, sending them to the top of the teams’ standings – and giving their chances of securing the largest share of the donation from F1 to their charity Grand Prix Trust a boost.
Enzo Fittipaldi wins first race of F1 virtual GP series
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The 19-year-old won the 36 lap race around a video version of Austria s Red Bull Ring after the starting grid was set in a sprint race featuring professional gamers from the F1 esports series.
That five lap opener was won by Ferrari s 2019 esports champion David Tonizza, ensuring New Zealand s F2 driver Marcus Armstrong a Ferrari Driver Academy member started the feature race on pole.
Leclerc started third thanks to the efforts of double esports champion Brendon Leigh in his first race for Ferrari after leaving Mercedes.