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• Tinko Van Der Velde leads the way in the Pro class as a capacity field heads to Circuit Paul Ricard in France
• Valentin Barrier holding back a raft of challengers in the Silver category
• 50-car field split between 26 Pro entries and 24 Silver runners
• ENTRY LIST: Mobileye GT World Challenge Esports Europe Sprint Series Round 2: Circuit Paul Ricard

The second round of the Mobileye GT World Challenge Esports Europe Sprint Series takes place at Circuit Paul Ricard in France this evening (Wednesday, May 24) with a huge 50-car field looking to reel in a pair of runaway Ferrari drivers.

Tinko Van Der Velde celebrated outright victory during round one at Monza earlier in the month, notching a useful perfect score after taking the win from pole position aboard his Williams Esports Razer Ferrari 296 GT3.

Valentin Barrier did likewise in the Silver category, putting on an impressive show to mix with the Pro entries at the front in the YAS Heat Esports Ferrari 296.

But with a field stacked with talent in both categories and a total prize pot of €18,500 on the line, staying on top of the pack will take both skill and consistency.

All of the Mobileye GT World Challenge Esports Europe Sprint Series events are held on the Assetto Corsa Competizione platform and are staged in partnership with AK Esports. 

Van Der Velde leads the way in Pro

Tinko Van Der Velde’s win in Monza looks simple from the time sheets: pole position converted to overall victory. However, he was made to work hard for it by Veloce Esports driver George Boothby.

Boothby led a good portion of the race across the opening stages after squeezing by Van Der Velde at the start, and the two put on their own private duel before Van Der Velde timed his mid-race pit stop perfectly to emerge ahead and then hold on to the finish. On home turf, Ferrari’s new 296 GT3 impressed, but the technical curves of circuit Paul Ricard could change all that.

David Tonizza is still finding his feet in the Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse Huracan GT3 Evo2 after switching from Ferrari for this season, but he still grabbed third place at Monza and is certain to only get faster and faster as the year goes on. He’s partnered by Luca Losio in the sister car. Likewise, expect Dáire McCormack to be well in the mix in the Mercedes-AMG Team Williams Esports entry. 

Fresh from victory in the Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports Powered by Mobileye Bathurst 12 Hours, McLaren Veloce has two cars out for Grantas Kareckas and Maciej Malinowski, while Luke Whitehead (the other driver to make up the Bathurst-winning team alongside Boothby, Kareckas and Malinowski) handles Veloce’s Porsche 992 GT3 R.

Mikhail Statsenko was impressive at Monza in ITB Saintéloc Racing’s Audi, while Williams Esports Fanatec driver Charlie Crossland sits sixth in the standings with his Lamborghini. 

Others to watch for include Dominik Blajer (Williams Esports Razer Mercedes-AMG), Bastian Richter and Michael Tauscher (both Mercedes-AMG Esports Team Unicorns of Love), Sebastian Apostol (West Competition BMW M4) and Oscar Tringale (Kessel Glitch Ferrari 296).

Who can topple Barrier in Silver?

Reserved for the cream of the Assetto Corsa Competizione sim racing community, the Silver category is promising to be an incredibly close-fought battle this season, if Monza is anything to go by.

Valentin Barrier’s start to the season was so good that he found himself fighting on the fringes of the outright podium places at Monza, and his tactic of keeping things clean and staying out of trouble paid off handsomely first time out.

Choosing not to fight the Pro entries around him too fiercely meant Barrier controlled the class in the YAS Heat Esports Ferrari, finishing comfortably clear of Dario Iemmulo’s VS Racing by Ballas Lamborghini. Expect this rivalry to heat up again in round two.

Vojtech Fiala could well have been in the mix for the class win but for a penalty, but he regardless pulled off a masterful late pass to grab third in the Williams Esports Fanatec Porsche. Michael Romagnoli’s Absolute Res-Tech by Acelith Aston Martin Vantage AMR proved a bit of a handful at Monza, but fourth gives him a solid platform to build from.

Tommy Razeyre impressed on his run to fifth aboard the SDL eSports by Logitech G McLaren 720S, while Niklas Ahrnke sits sixth in the Team ONE ∙ FF Porsche.

Also keep an eye on promising chargers such as Léo Boulay (Race eSport Team Mercedes-AMG), Alberto Garcia (Odox Motorsport Lamborghini), Daniil Tylyk (SMP Racing Esports BMW M4), Marco Jonkers (West Competition Mercedes-AMG), Kieran Prendergast (Brabham Esports Honda NSX) and Leon Hoppe (Grid Finder Racing Bentley Continental).

The race night begins with two free practice sessions from 19:30 CEST, ahead of qualifying at 20:25 and the race at 21:00. The race will be streamed live via the GT World YouTube channel.

The Mobileye GTWC Esports Europe Sprint Series takes place across five events, all held midweek, over a schedule that mirrors the real-world Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS. Following the opening round at Monza, drivers will then tackle Circuit Paul Ricard in France, the legendary Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium and Germany’s Nürburgring before finishing the series at Circuit de Barcelona Catalunya in Spain.

Tinko Van Der Velde produced a beautifully controlled drive to snatch victory in the opening Mobileye GTWC Esports Europe Sprint Series round of the season, the Williams Esports Razer driver making his performance around the pit stop count.

Likewise, a clever drive from Valentin Barrier secured him a clear victory in the Silver class. He chose his battles wisely and romped home to the first class victory of the season.

Van Der Velde qualified his Ferrari 296 GT3 on pole, but was powerless to prevent Veloce Esports’ George Boothby slipping into the lead at Curva Grande after the two had run door-to-door through the first chicane, with Boothby just finding the inside line on corner exit.

Initially, Barrier held a superb third place behind the two leading Ferraris, but soon opted to ease the pressure from the charging Lamborghini of David Tonizza by allowing the Pro class runner through to concentrate purely on building his own advantage in the Silver class. 

Up front, Boothby continued to lead by around half-a-second and, despite racing with a hand injury, appeared to have the edge on Van Der Velde as the pit window approached. Boothby was the first of the two to make his mandatory stop, diving into the pits as the leaders began to hit backmarker traffic, whereas Van Der Velde opted to stay out and try to work his way through the pack ahead. 

It looked like an error on paper, but Van Der Velde made swift work of the lapped cars, completed his pit stop a lap later and managed to rejoin with an advantage of 0.9s over Boothby when the true order shook out. From that moment on Van Der Velde was in complete control, eventually stretching his advantage to 3s at the flag.

Boothby was a comfortable second, with Tonizza an equally secure third for Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corsa. Mikhail Statsenko brought the ITB Saintéloc Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II home in fourth at the flag, but was docked five seconds post-race for aggressive driving during a tight fight, dropping him back to sixth. 

Dáire McCormack’s Mercedes-AMG Team Williams Esports car then moved up to fourth, making it three different marques inside the top four.

Barrier celebrated the Silver class victory in fifth for YAS Heat Esports, well clear of his closest class rival, Dario Iemmulo, who finished ninth overall in the VS Racing by Ballas Lamborghini Huracan.

Charlie Crossland was seventh overall for Williams Esports Fanatec, ahead of Kamil Pawlowski in the ITB Thrustmaster Racing Audi. Dennis Shoeniger rounded out the top 10 overall in the second Mercedes-AMG Team Williams Esports car, but only just after surviving a last-lap battle with Grantas Kareckas’ Veloce McLaren.

A time penalty for contact during the first stint looked to have denied Vojtech Fiala a chance at the final step of the Silver class podium, but he fought back from the delay superbly to eventually pass Michael Romagnoli’s Absolute Res-Tech by Acelith Aston Martin during the closing stages to snatch the place back.

The next round of the Mobileye GTWC Esports Europe Sprint Series takes place at Circuit Paul Ricard in France on Wednesday, May 24.

• World’s best virtual racers to compete on-site at Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS events
• 30 Assetto Corsa Competizione races scheduled across six on-site and online championships
• SRO Esports prize money provisionally tops €163,500, with more to follow
• Download: 2023 SRO Esports information

The world’s best sim racing teams and drivers will become a permanent feature of the real-life Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS paddock this year thanks to the new SRO Esports Sim Pro Series.

The five-round invitational championship joins a packed global SRO Esports calendar, which once again includes four Mobileye-supported online competitions – three sprint and one endurance – as well as the ground-breaking Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series where virtual results count towards the real-life Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS teams’ title. 

The Fanatec Arena that travels to each Endurance Cup event will now stage two 60-minute Assetto Corsa Competizione races per weekend: one – as usual – for GT stars, and another for their professional sim racing counterparts who will battle for points and prize money at Monza, Circuit Paul Ricard, Spa-Francorchamps, the Nurburgring and Barcelona.

The new series stems from the success of 2022’s Spa Racing Night in which manufacturer-supported teams and drivers contested a one-off sprint race in the Fanatec Arena just as dusk descended over the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. 

23 of the 24 professional team entries will be confirmed in advance, while the final slot per event is determined by a last chance qualifier hosted on-site. And just like the Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series, teams are permitted to use different drivers at each of the season’s five rounds.

Each event is provisionally scheduled to last one day, with rig setup and practice in the morning and early afternoon before warm-up, qualifying and the race all take place immediately after that same evening’s Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series round. 

Prize money totalling €75,000 will be won throughout the campaign.

The other €88,500 is split between SRO Esports’ four online championships, which remain largely unchanged this year. Mobileye GT World Challenge Esports America, Asia and Europe each comprise five hour-long sprint races, while the endurance element is covered by Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports Powered by Mobileye’s five iconic events on as many continents. 24 Pro and 24 Silver entries are permitted per championship.

To promote regional participation, each Mobileye GT World Challenge Esports series is reserved for drivers living in that specific area.

All European and Asian races take place on Wednesdays, American races on Saturdays and IGTC events across weekends.

Elsewhere, changes have been made to the way Balance of Performance is calculated and a penalty points system introduced to encourage a consistently higher level of driving standards.

Further details concerning this year’s Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series, including prize money, will be confirmed before the opening round at Monza in April.

All 30 of this year’s SRO Esports races will be staged in partnership with AK Esports and streamed live on SRO’s Twitch and YouTube channels.

The continued support of Assetto Corsa Competizione’s developer, Kunos Simulazione, is also of paramount importance to SRO Esports’ success. The official Fanatec GT World Challenge videogame provides an extraordinarily accurate simulation of multi-manufacturer GT3 (and GT4) racing that tests real-world drivers and professional sim racers to their limits.

2023 SRO ESPORTS SIM PRO SERIES (ON-SITE SPRINT)
April 22 – Monza
June 3 – Circuit Paul Ricard
June 30 – Spa-Francorchamps
July 29 – Nurburgring
September 30 – Barcelona
Prize money pool: €75,000

2023 INTERCONTINENTAL GT CHALLENGE ESPORTS POWERED BY MOBILEYE (ONLINE ENDURANCE)
May 20 – Bathurst 12 Hour
June 17 – Kyalami 9 Hour
July 15 – 24 Hours of Spa
August 19 – Suzuka 10 Hours
September 16 – Indianapolis 8 Hour
Prize money pool: €58,000

2023 MOBILEYE GT WORLD CHALLENGE ESPORTS EUROPE (ONLINE SPRINT)
May 3 – Monza
May 24 – Circuit Paul Ricard
June 21 – Spa-Francorchamps
July 19 – Nurburgring
August 23 – Barcelona
Prize money pool: €18,500

2023 MOBILEYE GT WORLD CHALLENGE ESPORTS AMERICA (ONLINE SPRINT)
May 6 – Laguna Seca
June 10 – Circuit of the Americas
July 22 – Silverstone 
August 5 – Watkins Glen
September 2 – Indianapolis
Prize money pool: €6,000

2023 MOBILEYE GT WORLD CHALLENGE ESPORTS ASIA (ONLINE SPRINT)
May 31 – Imola
June 28 – Donington Park
July 12 – Bathurst
August 9 – Kyalami
September 6 – Suzuka
Prize money pool: €6,000

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Facebook SRO Esports | Instagram SROEsports | Twitch SRO Motorsports | YouTube GT World | #SROesports

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About KUNOS Simulazioni

Kunos Simulazioni is a software house specialized in developing driving simulations for the videogame market and professional applications.

The company launched in 2005 as a one-man show, and now involves professional expertise capable of producing the technology required to satisfy a diverse range of requirements: from professional training software for car manufacturers and racing teams to advanced videogames dedicated to simracers looking for a driving model with maximum realism. 

The “Assetto Corsa” racing game is the best result of this vision, turning a driving simulation into one of the most recognized and popular brands of racing videogames. 

Its latest iteration, “ASSETTO CORSA COMPETIZIONE”, is one of the most appreciated GT racing simulations on the market, representing a benchmark in terms of car handling, visual realism and track accuracy.

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About Fanatec

Fanatec is the leading brand for dedicated sim racing hardware, including force feedback steering wheels, pedals, and complete cockpits for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC-based racing simulators. Fanatec is a brand of Endor AG, based in Germany, the company has more than 20 years of experience in developing and manufacturing sim racing equipment, constantly striving for innovation and quality. Fanatec is the official hardware partner for several different esports series, including F1 Esports Pro Series, the eSport WRC Championship, and SRO E-sport GT Series, with the sim racing hardware being an integral part of the live broadcasts all over the world. Fanatec is also the main sponsor of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS. Find out more at www.fanatec.com.

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About AK Esports

Ak Esports is an Italian company leader in the organization of Esports competitions, Esports team management and events all over Europe, with a special focus on Sim Racing. Created by Ak Informatica, italian PC Gaming Expert, since 2004 the company has seen a steady growth every year since then, working on the latest technology and Gaming titles to develop Esports Entertainment. Ak Esports developed several Esports assets for many different car manufacturers and in 2019 together with SRO Motorsport Group and Kunos Simulazioni created the first SRO Esports.  Championship. Find out more about AK at www.akesports.it.

• Consistency counts as Veloce McLaren ace successfully defends European title 
• Gronewald scuppered by penalty, heartbreak for McCormack 
• Blajer takes dominant Silver crown with another win
• Qualifying | Race Result | Standings

James Baldwin has retained his Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports title, with a third-place finish at Monza giving the Veloce McLaren driver a second successive continental crown.

Heavy rain at the Italian track ensured that the finale was a tense affair. The stress levels rose another notch after qualifying, with championship leader Dáire McCormack mired down in 16th overall. Baldwin was a strong third, while dark horse Tobias Gronewald (Mercedes-AMG E-Sports Team UOL) fared even better by taking second on the grid. 

Kevin Siclari started the 60-minute Assetto Corsa Competizione race from pole, but the Mkers Mercedes-AMG driver was instantly relegated to second by Gronewald and then fell behind Baldwin, making contact with both title aspirants through the Rettifilo chicane. Siclari never recovered: within 10 minutes he had clashed with Robbie Stapleford (BMW G2 Esports) and was subsequently handed a drive-through penalty, wrecking a race that had begun with such promise. 

An even greater disaster befell McCormack. Starting mid-pack in wet conditions always represents a major risk, and so it proved this time. The Munster Rugby Gaming Bentley was among several cars caught up an incident, dropping the championship leader outside the top-30 and leaving his titles hopes in tatters.

Up front Gronewald was doing what he needed to snatch the crown and soon got some help from fellow Mercedes-AMG racer Dennis Schoeniger (Mercedes-AMG E-Sports Team HRT), who relegated Baldwin to third. When Jordan Sherratt (Automobili Lamborghini Esports Team) also passed the McLaren, dropping Baldwin to fourth, Gronewald was in title-winning position.

With all of the front-runners electing to go deep into the pit window, the race was in a holding pattern until shortly before the 45-minute mark. Schoeniger was the first of the lead pack to stop, followed shortly after by Gronewald. It didn’t work out as intended for the latter, who emerged from the pit lane behind his fellow Mercedes-AMG man. This was not a disaster – Schoeniger was likely to allow Gronewald past – but there were far greater problems lurking just around the corner. 

First, Baldwin completed a quick stop and exited pit lane right behind Gronewald. But while he could potentially fight off the charging McLaren, Gronewald could not argue with race control when it handed him a drive-through for track limits violations. Serving this penalty dropped the Mercedes-AMG Team UOL driver down the order and out of title contention. 

Baldwin was now in the box seat, but there was still the small matter of the race win. Sherratt exited the pits alongside Schoeniger and the two ran side-by-side up to turn 1. There was slight contact, causing the Mercedes-AMG to use the run-off while the Lamborghini had a huge sideways moment through the first chicane. 

Schoeniger was chased all the way to the chequered flag by Sherratt in the works Lamborghini, but held on to score his first win of the season. A little further back, Baldwin was in no mood to get involved with the fight at the front. He cruised to third and, in doing so, collected more than enough points to vault him above McCormack in the standings. Baldwin had not previously occupied top spot in the championship, but he was there when it mattered most. 

Nils Naujoks came home fourth after stalking Baldwin for the final few laps without quite getting close enough to make a move on the McLaren. Mike Nobel was fifth to take his and the Honda NSX’s best finish of the 2022 season, while championship outsider David Tonizza (Scuderia Ferrari Velas Esports Team) finished in sixth. McCormack and Gronewald were classified 11th and 12th respectively among the Pro runners. 

Dominik Blajer bagged a fourth Silver class win from five races to secure a title that has looked destined to be his since the opening race. The TRITON Bentley driver’s day started down the order, with championship rival Robbie Stapleford on class pole, but the young BMW driver was delayed by his clash with Siclari. Blajer made forward progress and ultimately passed Marcello Bonaccorsi (VSR by Ballas eSport), the Italian enjoying by far his best run of 2022. Behind them, Stapleford recovered to finish third. 

In the Pro class, the final championship standings put Baldwin on 113 points. McCormack finishes as runner-up with 98 followed by Tonizza (90) and Gronewald (81). In the Silver category, Blajer is champion with a mighty 168-point total, while Stapleford takes runner-up on 134 and third-place Kieran Prendergast (Rocket Simsport) is some way back on 78 points.

With the European season complete, many of the field will now focus on the deciding rounds of the Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports Championship Powered by Mobileye. Their next encounter will be a 10-hour race at Suzuka (27 August), followed by the Kyalami 9 Hour (10 September) and the 24 Hours of Spa (22 October).

Organised by SRO Motorsports Group and Ak Esports in partnership with Mobileye, Fanatec, Kunos Simulazioni, Pirelli and The Sim Grid, Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports utilises the unmatched simulation of Assetto Corsa Competizione. It runs alongside similar continental series in Asia and America, as well as IGTC Esports Powered by Mobileye and the pioneering Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series. 

• Pro championship leader McCormack aiming to extend advantage at tricky Hungarian circuit 
• Silver standout Blajer chasing fourth successive class victory 
• Entry List | Standings | Schedule

Dáire McCormack will look to strengthen his grip on the 2022 Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports title tonight (6 July) when the championship stages its fourth and penultimate round at the Hungaroring. 

The Irish driver holds an 18-point advantage at the top of the standings after guiding his Munster Rugby Gaming Bentley to a second win of the season last time out at the Nürburgring and could even seal the European crown this evening. That will be a tall order, however, with fierce competition at the front of the grid promising another epic Assetto Corsa Competizione contest at the tight and twisty 4.4km Hungarian venue. 

Scuderia Ferrari Velas Esports racer David Tonizza sits second in the standings, but slipped 18 points back from McCormack after a difficult run to sixth at the Nürburgring. His qualifying form has been exemplary – Tonizza started the opening two events from pole and was second at the Nürburgring – so the Italian cannot be ruled out of the fight. Indeed, having won last season’s Hungaroring contest, Tonizza should fancy his chances. 

The dark horse in this title race is Tobias Gronewald. The Mercedes-AMG E-Sports Team UOL driver sits third in the standings on 72 points with a pair of podiums to his name. Gronewald was on pole at the Nürburgring and while his race pace was not quite enough to overcome McCormack he has built a strong platform to fight for the championship. 

James Baldwin’s title defence is still alive, but the Veloce McLaren man simply must beat McCormack if he is to have a serious chance of retaining his European crown. The same goes for Nils Naujoks. A runner-up finish at the Nürburgring gave the BMW Team BS+COMPETITION ace his best finish of 2022 and much-needed points after being taken out at Misano, but any hope of a title tilt rests on a big result at the Hungaroring. 

It is difficult to see beyond the current top-five for the 2022 title, even if others are still in play. With 70 points left on the board Tinko van der Velde, Michael Tauscher, Jordan Sherratt, Arthur Kammerer and Maxime Batifoulier are mathematically eligible, but it would require a remarkable turnaround for them to challenge McCormack. There are also several big names still chasing a breakthrough result, including Niklas Houben, Samir Ibraimi and Dennis Schoeniger. 

On one hand, it would be fair to say that Dominik Blajer has dominated the Silver class this season. The TRITON Racing Bentley driver has taken all three wins and frequently competed with the top Pro drivers. But, with Robbie Stapleford (BMW G2 Esports) finishing as runner-up on each occasion, Blajer’s advantage is only 17 points. Nevertheless, Stapleford must beat Blajer on-track if he is to have a serious crack at the title. Fabien Piffet (Team Fordzilla Bentley) and Mateusz Tyszkiewicz (TRITON Racing Bentley) also remain mathematically eligible, though realistically they are contending for the final step on the Silver championship podium.

A field featuring 50 of the world’s finest sim racers will fill the Hungaroring grid. As ever points will be scored towards both the Pro and Silver classifications, while the race will include a strategic element courtesy of a mandatory pit stop between the 15th and 45th minute. Live coverage is free-to-view on YouTube and Twitch, with streaming set to begin at 20:50 CEST. 

Organised by SRO Motorsports Group and Ak Esports in partnership with Mobileye, Fanatec, Kunos Simulazioni, Pirelli and The Sim Grid, the Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship utilises the unmatched simulation of Assetto Corsa Competizione. It runs alongside similar continental Sprint Series in Asia and America, while the Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports Championship Powered by Mobileye tests elite sim racing teams in long-distance events.

Championship Standings – Pro

1. Daire McCormack – 93
2. David Tonizza – 75
3. Tobias Gronewald – 72
4. James Baldwin – 67
5. Nils Naujoks – 47

Championship Standings – Silver

1. Dominik Blajer – 104 points
2. Robbie Stapleford – 87
3. Fabien Piffet – 54
4. Mateusz Tyszkiewicz – 50
5. Egor Ogorodnikov – 33

2022 Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship

1. Misano – 6 April
2. Zandvoort – 4 May
3. Nürburgring – 8 June
4. Hungaroring – 6 July
5. Monza – 3 August

 Bentley ace triumphs thanks to long-run strategy; Naujoks close behind with opposite approach 
• Blajer dominant in Silver class after securing overall pole and podium  
• Qualifying | Race Result | Standings

Dáire McCormack captured his second Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports win of 2022 by making a long-run strategy work to brilliant effect at the Nürburgring. The Munster Rugby Gaming driver qualified sixth overall in his #814 Bentley, but picked the perfect time to make his mandatory pit stop and jumped to the front of the queue when it mattered.

The third round of the championship was a strategic battle in which the front-runners chose divergent routes to the chequered flag, ensuring plenty of contenders for the Mobileye Innovation Award. Dominik Blajer started from overall pole in his TRITON Racing Bentley, becoming the first Silver class entrant to beat all of the Pro runners in qualifying. Remarkably his time of 1m53.190s was identical to that of fellow front-row starter Tobias Gronewald, who was therefore the Pro pole-sitter for Mercedes-AMG E-Sports Team UOL.

This all became academic at turn 1 as Blajer misjudged his braking and went much too deep, allowing both Gronewald and David Tonizza (Scuderia Ferrari Velas Esports Team) to move in front. The Italian briefly edged ahead of the Mercedes-AMG, but ultimately it was Gronewald who settled into the overall lead. 

Behind them Blajer held on to third spot ahead of Nils Naujoks (BMW Team BS+COMPETITION), while McCormack moved up one place to fifth. With little movement at the front Naujoks stopped at the earliest possible opportunity, ducking into the pits shortly after the 15-minute mark. The German was followed by James Baldwin (Veloce McLaren) as both put their faith in the undercut. 

Initially, it seemed to be working beautifully. Tonizza was the next of the front runners to stop and the Ferrari emerged from the pits behind Naujoks, while Baldwin slotted in behind his old rival. The Ferrari looked ill at ease in race conditions and, within a few laps, Baldwin was past as well. 

Gronewald made his stop at half distance and had just enough in hand to stay ahead of Naujoks, though the BMW was much closer than he had been before the pit window opened. He then closed on to the rear of the Mercedes-AMG and with 22 minutes left on the clock completed a clean and decisive move into turn 1. But, out front, McCormack was still pumping in fast times. 

The Bentley driver stopped on the same lap and was able to return to the track just clear of Naujoks. Having run at close quarters early on each driver had selected a very different strategy; ultimately McCormack’s had proven marginally better. 

Blajer had also run long and emerged between Naujoks and Gronewald, giving the Silver class driver a commanding advantage over Robbie Stapleford (BMW G2 Esports). The most engaging on-track battle of the closing stages saw Baldwin attempting to overhaul Tinko van der Velde, but the Williams Esports Bentley man held firm. 

At the front McCormack came home to win by a little under four seconds, narrowly preventing Naujoks from repeating his 2021 victory at the Nürburgring. Blajer completed the overall podium while also earning a resounding Silver win, while Gronewald converted pole into a P3 finish among the Pro runners. 

Van der Velde and Baldwin were followed by erstwhile championship leader Tonizza, for whom a sixth-in-class finish can be seen as a solid result given his mid-race struggles. Arthur Kammerer (BMW Team BS+COMPETITION) was next, a five-second penalty having dropped him behind the Ferrari, while Jordan Sherratt (Automobili Lamborghini Esports Team) and Eamonn Murphy (Veloce McLaren) completed the overall top-10. 

Blajer’s Silver win was his third in succession and once again saw the TRITON man running at the front of the pack. Stapleford was second in class and 12th overall, though he lost six spots on the leaderboard to a five-second penalty for making contact with Tonizza during the closing stages. Fabien Piffet completed the class podium after finishing 15th overall in his Team Fordzilla Bentley. 

McCormack’s win has seen the Munster Rugby Gaming driver open up an 18-point lead over Tonizza at the top of the Pro standings. Gronewald moves up to third, three points off the Ferrari ace, while defending champion Baldwin remains in the hunt. Blajer’s Silver class lead is also 18 points, Stapleford having minimised the gap thus far by finishing second in all three races.

The fourth and penultimate round of the 2022 Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports championship will take place at the Hungaroring on 6 July, while the finale runs at Monza on 3 August. Organised by SRO Motorsports Group and Ak Esports in partnership with Mobileye, Fanatec, Kunos Simulazioni, Pirelli and The Sim Grid, the Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship utilises the unmatched simulation of Assetto Corsa Competizione. It runs alongside similar continental Sprint Series in Asia and America, while the Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports Championship Powered by Mobileye tests elite sim racing teams in long-distance events. 

• World-class sim racers tackle Nürburgring in third round of European championship 
• Tonizza, McCormack and Baldwin lead Pro standings, Blajer out front in Silver thanks to pair of wins
• Entry List | Standings | Schedule

Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports is back in action on Wednesday (8 June) when a one-hour Assetto Corsa Competizione race at the Nürburgring will turn the heat up on the 2022 title battle.

The third of five European Sprint Series rounds marks a crucial phase in the championship and follows ultra-competitive contests at Misano (6 April) and Zandvoort (4 May). James Baldwin and David Tonizza have lived up to their status as pre-season favourites, while breakout star Dáire McCormack has emerged as a serious contender for crown. 

Should anyone else wish to make a serious bid for European glory, they will need a strong result on Wednesday evening. Indeed, by the time the chequered flag has fallen we should have a clear idea of who still has a realistic shot at the big prize. 

A field featuring 50 of the world’s finest sim racers will fill the Nürburgring grid. Points are scored towards the Pro and Silver classifications, while the race will include a mandatory pit stop between the 15th and 45th minute. Live coverage will be free-to-view on YouTube and Twitch, with streaming set to begin at 20:50 CEST. 

With the 2022 season in full swing, last year’s championship runner-up David Tonizza leads the standings on 60 points. The Scuderia Ferrari Velas Esports ace started from pole at Misano and Zandvoort, finishing both races in second spot. Consistency wins titles and Tonizza will have no complaints if his campaign ends with the championship. 

Dáire McCormack (Munster Rugby Gaming Bentley) sits second after winning the Misano opener and backing it up with third place at Zandvoort. The Irishman is a single point behind Tonizza and, having proved that his opening win was no fluke, appears ready to contend for the title. James Baldwin (Veloce McLaren) is next on 49 points after securing a brilliant win last time out at Zandvoort, which ignited the reigning series champion’s bid to retain his crown. 

The trio of Tonizza-McCormack-Baldwin are the drivers to beat, but Tobias Gronewald (Mercedes-AMG E-Sports Team UOL) is within striking distance on 46 points after taking third at Misano and fourth at Zandvoort. Michael Tauscher (Unicorns of Love Porsche) sits fifth in the standings having banked 30 points, 10 more than Automobili Lamborghini Esports ace Jordan Sherratt, who was part of the crew that triumphed in last month’s Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Mobileye opener at Bathurst. 

Nils Naujoks scored his maiden series victory in last season’s Nürburgring event, surging from fourth on the grid to lead after a few corners and maintaining the advantage thereafter. But, after being taken out of the Zandvoort race on the opening lap, the BMW Team BS+Competition driver finds himself 42 points adrift of Tonizza. Another victory at the Nürburgring may be his only route back into this fight, a scenario also faced by his teammate Arthur Kammerer, Luca Losio (Mobileye x Jean Alesi Esports Academy BMW) and Eamonn Murphy (Veloce McLaren) among others. 

Then there is the battle for Silver class honours. Dominik Blajer (TRITON Racing Bentley) has won both races thus far and generally found himself among the leading Pro drivers. Pace-wise he has been the class of the field, though a penalty almost cost him the win at Zandvoort. A last-lap clash between his teammate Mateusz Tyszkiewicz and Robbie Stapleford (BMW G2 Esports) handed Blajer a remarkable win, and both will be determined to take the fight to him again on Wednesday evening.

Organised by SRO Motorsports Group and Ak Esports in partnership with Mobileye, Fanatec, Kunos Simulazioni, Pirelli and The Sim Grid, the Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship utilises the unmatched simulation of Assetto Corsa Competizione. It runs alongside similar continental Sprint Series in Asia and America, while the Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports Championship Powered by Mobileye tests elite sim racing teams in long-distance events.

Once the Nürburgring contest is complete there will be just two races left to decide the 2022 title, with Hungaroring on 6 July and the finale running at Monza on 3 August. A busy month of virtual racing lies ahead, with Mobileye GT World Challenge Asia Esports running at Imola (15 June), the Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports Championship Powered by Mobileye tackling the 24 Hours of Spa (18 June) and Mobileye GT World Challenge America Esports at Kyalami on 25 June.

Championship Standings – Pro

1. David Tonizza – 60 points
2. Dáire McCormack – 59
3. James Baldwin – 49
4. Tobias Gronewald – 46
5. Michael Tauscher – 30

Championship Standings – Silver

1. Dominik Blajer – 69 points
2. Robbie Stapleford – 58
3. Mateusz Tyszkiwicz – 46
4. Fabien Piffet – 29
5. Kieran Prendergast – 28

2022 Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship

1. Misano – 6 April
2. Zandvoort – 4 May
3. Nürburgring – 8 June
4. Hungaroring – 6 July
5. Monza – 3 August

• Veloce McLaren driver plays patient game to defeat old rival Tonizza
• Blajer overcomes penalty to win Silver class after final-lap heartbreak for Stapleford 
• Qualifying | Race Result | Standings

Reigning series champion James Baldwin ignited his 2022 Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports title assault with a brilliantly executed victory at Zandvoort. 

The Veloce McLaren driver started from second on the grid, lining up alongside David Tonizza’s Scuderia Ferrari Velas Esports Team entry in a race that was staged in the dead of night. The pair battled tooth and nail for the 2021 title and were at it again at the Dutch circuit, with Tonizza holding the advantage into turn 1 despite Baldwin getting a slightly better launch. 

After initially pulling away the Ferrari soon dropped back into the clutches of the McLaren. Baldwin closed to within a few tenths of his old foe, but whether by choice or circumstance was unable to launch a serious move for the lead. There was a sense, however, that he was biding his time.

Tobias Gronewald (Mercedes-AMG E-Sports Team UOL) ran third during the opening stages, but the man on the move was Misano winner Daire McCormack (Munster Rugby Gaming). Starting from sixth, the Bentley driver was released on to the tail of fourth-place Michael Tauscher (Unicorns of Love Porsche) when Amir Hosseini made an early pit stop in his R8G eSports McLaren. McCormack quickly dealt with Tauscher, whose Porsche did not seem at ease throughout the Zandvoort race, then passed Gronewald with 25 minutes left on the clock. 

In clean air McCormack was the fastest man on the track, transforming the battle for victory into a three-car contest. Sensing an opportunity, he became the first of the trio make his mandatory pit stop, pulling in with 20 minutes remaining. The Bentley driver had a chance to make the undercut work and pushed Baldwin to react, the McLaren man electing to stop just one lap later. He emerged a fraction ahead of McCormack, leaving Tonizza with no choice but to pit the next time around.

The Italian encountered traffic on his in-lap, however, and as he pulled out of the pits the McLaren of Baldwin edged ahead. This proved to be the race-winning moment, with Tonizza unable to live with Baldwin’s pace at the head of the field over the closing 15 minutes. The Veloce McLaren pulled away to win for the first time this season – and made a serious statement about his title defence in the process. 

Tonizza spent the final laps under major pressure for McCormack, but after initially looking to be a cert for P2 the Bentley slipped back and was passed by Hosseini, who had made his early pit stop work to great effect. This smart strategic call could earn him a nomination for the Mobileye Innovation Award, which recognises drivers for their innovative moves and choices during each race.

It would not be enough to get Hosseini on to the podium, however, as the R8G McLaren ace had already been handed a five-second time penalty for contact after his stop. As such it was Tonizza and McCormack who sealed second and third respectively. The penalty dropped Hosseini to fifth, with Gronewald taking fourth in the final classification. Jordan Sherratt was a strong sixth for the official Automobili Lamborghini Esports squad, followed by Andre Franke (HPS JAS Pro Europe Honda) and Maxime Batifoulier (Mkers Mercedes-AMG). 

Silver honours went to Dominik Blajer. Starting from class pole, the TRITON Racing Bentley driver led the early stages but entered the race with a 15-second penalty for causing a collision during qualifying. Yet such was the Bentley’s pace that he emerged from his pit stop close behind Robbie Stapleford (BMW G2 Esports) and Mateusz Tyszkiewicz (TRITON Racing Bentley) in the battle for class victory. 

Stapleford led on the final lap, but there was multi-car contact between his BMW, the Tyszkiewicz Bentley and Tauscher’s Pro class Porsche. The result was that Stapleford slipped to third among the Silver runners, with Tyszkiewicz crossing the line ahead of Blajer. However with the Polish driver penalised for his involvement in the collision it was Blajer who claimed a second successive class win, completing a remarkable comeback from his pre-race penalty. Tyszkiewicz and Stapleford completed the podium.

Organised by SRO Motorsports Group and Ak Esports in partnership with Mobileye, Fanatec, Kunos Simulazioni, Pirelli and The Sim Grid, the Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship utilises the unmatched simulation of Assetto Corsa Competizione. The campaign continues next month with another 60-minute race at the Nürburgring (8 June). Tonizza holds a one-point lead over McCormack at the top of the standings thanks to a pair of runner-up finishes for the Ferrari ace, while Baldwin has climbed to third, 10 points shy of his Italian rival. 

• New season begins with Misano masterclass from McCormack 
• Blajer takes Silver Cup honours to secure clean sweep for Bentley
• Qualifying | Race Result | Standings

Daire McCormack delivered the performance of a lifetime to win the season-opening Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship event at Misano.

A 48-car grid assembled for the Assetto Corsa Competizione race, and with less than a second covering the top-45 in qualifying the competition was tougher than ever. The Munster Rugby Gaming driver started second at the wheel of the #814 Bentley but scythed into the lead with a magnificent pass around the outside of poleman David Tonizza (Scuderia Ferrari Velas Esports Team) at turn 1. 

The Italian fought back, but McCormack had the inside line for the second corner and was fully in front as the pack exited turn 3. This was as close as Tonizza ever came to recapturing the lead, with McCormack producing metronomic pace that allowed the Bentley to edge slowly into the distance. 

But while the lead battle was effectively settled at turn 1, the season-opening race still produced plenty of action – particularly during a frantic final 15 minutes. 

The spectacle was improved by the extension of the pit window for the 2022 season, with drivers now permitted to stop at any time between the 15th and 45th minute. This allowed for a far more creative approach to strategy, with some pitting early and aiming for the undercut while others ran long. 

It was during the final quarter of an hour, once the front runners had made their stops, that the drama really intensified. There was a particularly close fight for the final spot on the podium as Nils Naujoks (BMW Team BS+COMPETITION) passed Michael Tauscher (Unicorns of Love Porsche) and set off in pursuit of Tobias Gronewald (Mercedes-AMG E-Sports Team UOL). The two ended up in a drag race to the chequered flag, with the Mercedes-AMG ultimately edging the charging BMW M4 GT3 for third.

Naujoks dropped behind Tauscher after the chequered flag after receiving a penalty for an earlier collision. That left him fifth, one spot ahead of teammate Arthur Kammerer, who was involved in much of the late race action. Tinko van der Velde (Williams Esports Bentley) and James Baldwin (Veloce McLaren) were the next classified Pro drivers, the latter after receiving a post-race penalty following a three-wide move that gained him two places. 

Dominik Blajer (TRITON Racing Bentley) claimed an impressive Silver class victory having spent the entire racing mixing it with the Pros, sometimes risking his class lead in the process. Robbie Stapleford was the next best Silver driver and was on a charge during the latter stages, but could not do enough to catch Blajer. Fabien Piffet completed the class podium in the Team Fordzilla Bentley, completing a very successful day for the British brand. 

There was hard luck for Luca Losio (Mobileye x Jean Alesi Esports Academy BMW), who had made strong progress up the field from 11th on the grid after taking the decision to stop early. The Italian was running in sixth spot late in the race, defending from a gaggle of cars behind, only to be tagged and sent spinning off the road. This dropped him down the order, though penalties saw him classified ninth among the Pro runners.  

Indeed, Losio’s intelligent positioning in defence is likely to earn him a nomination for the Mobileye Innovation Award, which recognises drivers for their innovative and inspirational manoeuvres. This will be chosen by a fan vote on Thursday, with three moves up for the award. Mobileye has also partnered with SRO to give fans the opportunity to win a VIP weekend at a Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS event or a simulator coaching session with a top SRO Esports driver. For further information and to enter, click here. 

Organised by SRO Motorsports Group and Ak Esports in partnership with Mobileye, Fanatec, Kunos Simulazioni, Pirelli and The Sim Grid, the Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship utilises the unmatched simulation of Assetto Corsa Competizione. The next event on the SRO Esports schedule will be the Mobileye GT World Challenge Asia Esports Championship opener at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya (13 April). 

The European campaign continues next month with another 60-minute race at Zandvoort (4 May). After a double Bentley win at Misano, the likes of McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG will fancy their chances of revenge at sweeping track amid the North Sea dunes.

• New season begins with one-hour Assetto Corsa Competizione race at tricky Italian track
• Reigning champ Baldwin back to defend European crown against top-line opposition 
• Entry List | Schedule 

The 2022 Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship kicks off on Wednesday (6 April) with a one-hour Assetto Corsa Competizione race at Misano, launching the first of three continental Sprint Series set to run in 2022.

A stacked grid of 48 world-class sim racers will test their skills at the technical Italian circuit where consistency is rewarded and no error goes unpunished. The entry list is headlined by reigning series champion James Baldwin, who will defend his crown against a field that includes official esports drivers from the likes of Ferrari, BMW and Lamborghini.

The Veloce McLaren star already knows how to get the job done at Misano. Last year’s race was a tense affair in which Baldwin led a McLaren one-two ahead of Eamonn Murphy, while the Ferrari of David Tonizza completed an all-star podium. On that occasion the top-32 qualifiers were separated by less than one second and there is every reason to anticipate an equally close contest on Wednesday evening. 

The Misano race is scheduled to get underway at 21:00 CEST and opens a five-round European season that also takes in Zandvoort (4 May), the Nürburgring (8 June), Hungaroring (6 July) and Monza (3 August). Each will run on a Wednesday evening with in-depth coverage across a variety of online platforms, including live streaming on the SRO YouTube and Twitch channels, as well as the SRO Esports Facebook page.

Organised by SRO Motorsports Group and Ak Esports in partnership with Mobileye, Fanatec, Kunos Simulazioni, Pirelli and The Sim Grid, the series utilises the highly authentic physics and unmatched driving realism of Assetto Corsa Competizione. The 2022 campaign will feature new GT3 cars from Audi and BMW, bringing the virtual series fully up to date with its real-world equivalent. 

Baldwin primed for title defence against new and returning opposition 

Having edged a titanic 2021 title battle against Ferrari star David Tonizza, James Baldwin goes on the hunt for further championship glory this term with the #1 proudly displayed on his Veloce McLaren. The man he beat is also back and will be hungry for revenge at the wheel of the #95 Scuderia Ferrari Velas Esports Team entry, hinting at an another epic battle between the pair.

But there’s no reason to expect a two-horse race. Nils Naujoks (BMW Team BS+COMPETITION) was a major factor during the second half of last term and will hope for a strong start with the new M4 GT3 to launch his 2022 title assault. Niklas Houben triumphed in the 2021 finale to cap a stellar run of form and could also be a contender this year representing Romain Grosjean’s R8G eSports squad in the #22 Audi.

There are plenty more returning drivers from last term to watch out for, including Eamonn Murphy, who joins Baldwin at the Veloce McLaren squad, as well as Arthur Kammerer (BMW Team BS+COMPETITION), Kamil Pawlowski (Scuderia Ferrari Velas Esports Team) and the mercurial Amir Hosseini (R8G eSports McLaren). Luca Losio also returns for 2022, switching brands to pilot a BMW M4 GT3 for the Mobileye x Jean Alesi Esports Academy squad. 

While the aforementioned drivers will run in the top-tier Pro category, further competition will come from the addition of a Silver class. Categorisation is decided by 2021 results, though it would not be a surprise to see the leading Silver drivers run at the front of the overall order. Among the familiar names, Dennis Schoeniger will drive the #9 Mercedes-AMG E-Sports Team HRT machine, while youngster Robbie Stapleford returns to pilot the #81 BMW G2 Esports entry. Egor Ogorodnikov has also shown flashes of front-running pace and will tackle the Misano event driving a VDES Academy Bentley. 

The British marque’s Continental GT3 is a particularly popular choice for Wednesday’s race, with an impressive 12 runners across both classes set to use the car. They will be joined by eight McLarens, six examples of Mercedes-AMG machinery and four BMWs. Aston Martin, Audi, Ferrari, Honda, Lamborghini and Porsche will each be represented by three cars at Misano. 

The European Sprint Series opener kicks off the online portion of the 2022 SRO Esports season and comes just a few days after the Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series began its 2022 campaign with a successful event at Imola (2 April). It will be the first race to run with title sponsorship from Mobileye, the global innovator in autonomous and assisted-driving technology, which was announced last month. 

The Mobileye GT World Challenge Asia Esports Championship begins on 13 April at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, while the Intercontinental GT Challenge Esports Championship Powered by Mobileye follows with the Bathurst 12 Hour on 16 April. The Mobileye GT World Challenge America Esports Championship completes the set when it launches on 23 April with a one-hour race at Zolder.

2022 Mobileye GT World Challenge Europe Esports Championship

1. Misano – 6 April
2. Zandvoort – 4 May
3. Nürburgring – 8 June
4. Hungaroring – 6 July
5. Monza – 3 August