The 2020 F1 Esports season is upon us.
With Alfa Romeo into an early lead, and Jarno Opmeer leading the pack, this year’s Series is shaping up to be a good one.
With coronavirus putting a stop to many in-person events, we managed to catch up with some of the drivers and got their thoughts on racing from home.
Let’s jump into how the drivers are coping, and where they would rather be!
Dani Bereznay
When asked whether or not he missed competing at the Gfinity Arena, Dani’s answer was an emphatic yes.
Dani started by saying “Yes I really miss the atmosphere of the Gfinity Arena”.
For esports professionals, there is nothing quite like having the crowd watching you in-person, cheering you on.
He went on to say that he also misses being able to “physically communicate with other teams, other drivers” and so on.
This sense of camaraderie, and the rivalry between drivers, is something that can quickly be lost online.
However, he does go on to say that he has loved the challenge of being at home.
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“There aren’t two identical simulators” Dani said, adding to the challenge of having to race from home.
He does say that racing from home “doesn’t feel as competitive”, as it simply feels like the drivers are going for a quick online spin!
Marcel Kiefer
Marcel was just as unanimous, starting by saying “I definitely do miss the Gfinity Arena”.
With hope of potentially winning the Series this year, Marcel commented on having to celebrate from home.
“Not having the team round you, it’s just not the thing you expect”, and we agree entirely with the driver here.
A momentous occasion for any driver, having to celebrate a championship win from home must feel somewhat anti-climactic.
Marcel finished by saying that he “would definitely prefer to drive from Gfinity than from home”, something which we can certainly get behind!
Cedric Thomé
Cedric was just as glowing about racing from home versus racing from the Gfinity Arena.
He began by saying that “I would like to be at the arena”, as all of the drivers seem to feel.
Cedric’s thoughts on racing from home are that “it feels more like a hobby”, as the drivers are racing from their comfort zones.
He finished by saying that “at the Arena it feels more like a competition”, a stark contrast to racing from home.
Here’s hoping that the pandemic is soon over so we can get back to watching our favourite drivers in person!
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Looking to Event 2
As we prepare for the second event this weekend, 4-5 November, we asked the drivers what they made of the circuits.
With Netherlands, Canada and Austria coming up this weekend, things could well be very different to Event 1.
Dani was the first to comment on the track, highlighting the difficulty of Canada, as well as the unforgiving track limits.
He started by saying that track limits “will definitely be a deciding factor in the race”, due to the penalties incurred.
With the penalties stacking, at a total of 3 seconds for each penalty, these can really punish a driver.
F1 Esports Series Event 2
Event 2 of the F1 Esports Series starts 4 November at 19:30 BST, with the drivers at Netherlands and Canada.
The action then continues on 5 November, as the racing moves to Austria.
All of the events can be watched on Twitch, YouTube and on their site!
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