Components 1 is giving us a Mercedes vs Pink Bull battle at current and if the primary spherical of Components Professional Sequence was something to go by, rFactor 2’s newest prime tier championship could very nicely be giving us one other season-long duel between two tremendous groups.
Although Crew Redline’s Jeffrey Rietveld took pole place at Spa-Francorchamps, it was Mercedes’ Bono Huis who claimed the goodies. Many pundits anticipated extra fireworks coming into the second occasion at Silverstone.
Qualifying
It didn’t take lengthy to substantiate these predictions as simply six-thousandths of a second separated the 2 Dutch drivers. Rietveld would as soon as once more come out on prime taking his second consecutive pole place in a row with hopes of changing it right into a win this time round.
Their team-mates weren’t too far behind with Kevin Siggy and Marko Pejic lining up P4 and P5 respectively, although it was the eye-catching efficiency of R8G’s Erhan Jajovski that put probably the most smiles upon faces as he break up the highest two within the championship.
Martin Stefanko took his bow for Williams Esports with a powerful P6 while it was one other good day on the workplace for Varga Esports; after a double prime ten in Belgium, each drivers discovered themselves there once more for the British beginning grid.
Liam de Waal’s Wolves honeymoon was seemingly over although, sadly crashing in kind to a lowly P18 by the top of the session.
Race
All issues thought of, the primary lap was a comparatively calm affair for the highest ten with the most important strikes seeing Pejic getting the soar on Siggy and Stefanko falling down the order to ninth. Rietveld had accomplished every little thing proper and opened up a one-second hole to Huis behind.
Sadly, lap two would see the primary retirement of the night as Musto’s Manuel Biancolilla disconnected from sixth.
The highest 5 bolted with superior tempo extending their benefit from the remainder of the chasing pack to roughly 5 seconds. On the rear of this group lay Siggy although, after pouncing by way of the Area part, he was quickly previous Pejic.
The tempo was there for the Slovenian to have an actual go at Jajovski subsequent, however the {old} GT Professional Sequence rivalry obtained too scorching to deal with. Contact halfway into Brooklands noticed Pejic skip by the pair of them whereas the North Macedonian needed to accept fifth.
A two-stop race was undoubtedly the flawed name two weeks in the past with many severely limiting their potential outcomes. For Crew Redline and Mercedes in Silverstone, this didn’t deter them from sticking to their respective recreation plans.
Siggy was the primary of the entrance 5 to pit with 42 minutes left on the clock. Calling the pictures ensured he would undercut Pejic. Rietveld in the meantime additionally pitted earlier than his quick rival however got here out into main visitors permitting Huis to extend his first stint.
Going ultra-aggressive out of the pitlane, Huis would take Rietveld with simply two vehicles and 6 seconds between himself and the one-stopping Jajovski. The 2 stars of the season up to now, together with their team-mates, would finally discover themselves locking out the highest 4 spots after many daring overtakes – some extra on the sting of authorized than others. With 20 minutes left, it was time for the second cease section with each Redline vehicles and Pejic diving in.
Catastrophe struck for Rietveld who, in trying to undercut Huis, missed his pitlane limiter upon entry incurring the wrath of the penalty system. Caught with a stop-and-go, his hopes of profitable have been nicely and really gone. Down in eleventh after serving his punishment, the Dutchman had 12 minutes to try to rescue as many factors as attainable.
Credit score was due as he wrestled his manner again as much as sixth, even passing Pejic within the course of. An unpleasant incident with Jernej Simoncic, pushing the Burst driver into the within wall earlier than Copse, would possibly but see additional problems although.
There have been no such worries for Bono Huis as for the second Components Professional Sequence race in a row he took the chequered flag after beginning P2. Jajovski’s technique paid off, netting him second, while Siggy would accept third.
“Completely satisfied to get one other win! Our tempo was very sturdy once more, even with a reasonably poor lap in qualifying we have been on the entrance row,” defined Huis.
“We have been caught behind Rietveld within the first stint however managed to overhaul him after we have been going by way of the sector after our first cease. After that, it was about bringing the automobile dwelling and taking the second win of the season!
“Very glad however we have now to maintain working, because the others are closing in on us.”
Because it stands, Crew Redline having fun with a nine-point hole forward of Mercedes within the Groups’ standings. To not be discounted, Varga Sim Racing as soon as once more had a robust exhibiting with each themselves and Romain Grosjean’s R8G Esports crew inside hanging distance of the season favourites.
The third spherical will happen on sixteenth August on the legendary Nurburgring in Germany.
Components Professional Sequence, Spherical 2, Silverstone – Race outcomes
- Bono Huis – Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports – 40 LAPS
- Erhan Jajovski – R8G Esports – +18.583
- Kevin Siggy – Crew Redline – +24.627
- Marcell Csincsik – Varga Sim Racing – +37.702
- Jeffrey Rietveld* – Crew Redline – +37.771
- Marko Pejic – Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports – +38.450
- Martin Stefanko – Williams Esports – +39.070
- Jiri Toman – Varga Sim Racing – +40.950
- Michele D’Alessandro – BS+ Competitors – +46.505
- Daniel Kiss – Rocket Simsport – +46.553
*Provisional