The F1 Esports Pro Series is back and there's plenty to talk about after the first three rounds of the season.
Alfa Romeo's Jarno Opmeer has emerged as the early favourite for the championship. However, the Dutchman isn't taking anything for granted, as he believes the championship battle is wide open.
Wide-open championship
We were fortunate enough to be able to interview Opmeer and ask him who he sees his rivals as this season:
"I'd say every driver is very competitive this season. I look at it from race to race, for who we have to beat. I see if they qualify well and go from there with the strategy."
"I'd say there are around ten drivers that can fight for the title."
That's a very bold claim, especially since Opmeer himself has won two of the opening three rounds of the season. Jarno did admit that it's still very early to say anything with real certainty, though.
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"It's very hard to say anything after one event since it's so incredibly close. In Bahrain, I think the top eight was separated by six hundredths [of a second, in qualifying]."
"It's so close that each race can be won by five or six drivers."
Who are the ten?
Opmeer has had brilliant consistency in the opening three races of the season (two wins and a third place). The Dutchman has a point about it being possible for other drivers to challenge for the title, though.
The Alfa Romeo driver has a 24-point point advantage, which is a lot, but one retirement or a non-score and the competition will catch up.
Looking at the championship table, it's easy to see who the other nine drivers in with a shot of the top are. Red Bull's Marcel Kiefer is Opmeer's closest challenger, finishing second in China.
David Tonizza can't be discounted either, despite only scoring points once, he is the only other driver to win a race, in Vietnam. Daniel Bereznay is third in the standings thanks to his two podiums.
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Nicolas Longuet and Frederik Rasmussen sit fourth and fifth, the former finishing second in Hanoi. Joni Tormala (7th) is also performing well.
Two-time champion, Brendon Leigh is eighth on a solid 18 points. Finally, Alvaro Carreton and Lucas Blakeley are ninth and tenth, respectively.
With nine races still to go the title picture really is wide open, despite Opmeer's strong start.
Watch Event 2 of the F1 Esports Pro Series presented by Aramco on 4-5 November live on F1’s official Facebook, YouTube and Twitch channels. For full info on how to watch visit https://www.f1esports.com/