Over $33,000 was raised by a field of elite racing stars for Covid-19 relief efforts as a part of the first round of the new ‘Race for the World’ eseries.
An all-star lineup featuring six Formula 1 stars, a strong contingent of Formula E and F2 as well as Super Formula Champion and New Zealander Nick Cassidy battled it out for two chaotic races on the F1 2019 official videogame.
Both races were nothing shy of entertaining with Red Bull’s Alexander Albon claiming victory in race one while Arthur Leclerc made it two podiums in one night with a race win in the second Grand Prix.
Abu Dhabi played host to the opening race with Albon stealing pole position over Renault Academy driver Christian Lundgaard.
A technical glitch on the first lap meant that most of the field ghosted, creating havoc for many drivers. The race was quickly aborted for a restart.
Unfortunately, on the second attempt Nick Cassidy seemingly failed to connect to the server which meant he was absent for both races.
Albon and Lungaard established healthy leads over the field as they avoided the opening-lap shenanigans.
Charles Leclerc found the wall at turn two on lap one while Formula E championship leader Antonio Felix da Costa lost the rear of his Renault at turn 12, colliding into the armco.
As the leading pair continued to build on their comfortable advantage after the pitstops, the drivers unanimously to make their own self-adjudicated safety car period on lap 10 of 14.
Choas unfolded at the restart as race leader Lundgaard was punted off the road by Albon while Lando Norris was left standard along the start/finish straight.
Albon would go on to win ahead of Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with Arthur Leclerc rounding off the podium.
Lungaard then took pole position for the second race at Silverstone in the one-shot qualifying format.
But Leclerc brothers Arthur and Charles forced their way into the top two positions at turn one.
Antonio Fuoco speared straight into the wall along the Wellington Straight, almost wiping popular streamer Jimmy Broadbent out with him.
Sitting in second, Charles Leclerc then made a Ferari-esque blunder by fitting the wrong tyres in his pitstop, going for the slower harder compound instead of the medium tyres.
Consequently, Charles fell from second back to fifth place by the chequered flag while younger brother Arthur lead Lungaard home by 1.3s to claim victory. Luca Albon rounded off the podium placings.
The second round will take place on Tuesday 14 April and streamed via a variety of Twitch accounts.
