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'
Deletraz goes off! He allows Broadbent through for seventh, and comes back out in front of Norris who wastes little time in getting past to take 11th. Vandoorne is the first to pit from the top 10, with a mandatory pit stop needed to be made by everyone.
'Not The Bah GP'
Here comes the stops, with the top three the only ones to stay out.
'Not The Bah GP'
Opmeer and Baldwin pits from second and third, but leader Berezney stays out and that could well be tactics there to try and get Baldwin back into second.
'Not The Bah GP'
Baldwin goes off! He gets a big moment coming through turn seven and that relieves the pressure on Opmeer in the battle for second.
'Not The Bah GP'
The lead is just 1.3s between Berezney and Opmeer as the latter posts a fastest lap of the race, with Berezney locking up into the hairpin.
'Not The Bah GP'
The battle for eighth is hotting up, with Broadbent looking to recover after losing two places during the stops as Vandoorne and Daly got the better of him.
'Not The Bah GP'
With four laps to go, Berezney has stretched the gap slightly to 1.8s, while Broadbent is right on the back of Daly.
'Not The Bah GP'
Broadbent has fallen a second behind Daly with one lap remaining, though Daly himself is not right on the back of Vandoorne for seventh.
'Not The Bah GP'
Doherty has front wing damage, and the Force India is passed by Vandoorne and Broadbent, aDaly gets both of them! A nightmare for Doherty as he loses four places in three corners.
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