The group stages continue in V10 R-League this week, as four matches will provide key points as every team tries to claw their way into the playoffs.
With a £120,000 prize pool there is plenty of incentive for the fastest esports drivers in the world to race hard. With a new team making their debut this week and a pair of crucial clashes between championship contenders, don’t miss a moment of the action!!
BMW & Williams battle for Group B supremacy
Monday 19 April: 8pm BST on BT Sport 2, 6pm EST on ESPN3
The two established teams of Group B go head-to-head!
Williams and BMW were both victorious last week, and will want to take the first step toward the playoffs by claiming victory here.
Williams would seem to have the edge, having beaten BMW last year, but it’s far from the same circumstances. BMW’s star man Kevin Siggy is joined by Michael Romanidis, forming a pacy and competitive duo. Felix Quirmbach is a little off the pace of his teammates, but still capable.
Then there are the tracks. Both Williams and BMW selected to race at Mugello last week, so it is likely going to be vetoed, leaving the teams with more to think about than just raw pace. BMW has raced at Silverstone, the other new track for this season, whereas Williams hasn’t. That could be a deciding factor for Williams when it comes to banning a track too.
This should be a fairly even affair, perhaps with the edge going to Williams.
Prediction: Williams 3-1 BMW
Group A decider between Redline & Red Bull?
Tuesday 20 April: 4pm BST on BTSport.com, 6pm EST on ESPN3
Redline got off to a strong start last week, taking a 3-1 win over YAS Heat and flashing strong pace and excellent teamwork.
For Red Bull, this will be their first match in Season 2, and probably their hardest. Knocking off the rust against the reigning champs is far from an easy task, especially with so many format changes this year.
Red Bull’s new driver Nestor Garcia will need to be fully up to speed right away, as Redline’s trio has shown very few weaknesses so far. If he can keep up with Graham Carroll and Joni Tormala then the Bulls have a great chance of taking some points from the champs, but if not its a weakness Redline will exploit ruthlessly.
Prediction: Redline 3-1 Red Bull
YAS Heat & Aston Martin clash
Wednesday 21 April: 4pm BST on BTSport.com, 6pm EST on ESPN3
The other match in Group A sees the feisty YAS Heat side take on current group-leaders Aston Martin.
Lucas Blakeley, fresh off a stellar performance against R8G last week, will be looking to continue his tremendous pace against a YAS team that pushed Redline hard.
A convincing win for Aston Martin should give them one foot in the playoffs, but YAS is far from an easy opponent with their ultra-competitive lineup this year. They will also be keen to close the gap in Group A and don’t have long to do it.
Prediction: Aston Martin 2-2 YAS Heat
McLaren makes debut against Fordzilla
Thursday 22 April: 4pm BST on BTSport.com, 6pm EST on ESPN3
The last matchup of the week sees McLaren in V10 R-League competition for the first time. They will be taking on Fordzilla, who were able to take an encouraging point against BMW last week.
Led by esports icon James Baldwin, the McLaren Shadow side come into the season with good reason to be confident, and couldn’t have asked for a better opening match than Fordzilla.
Will looking more competitive than last season, Fordzilla still appears a step off the top teams and so will provide us a good benchmark for where McLaren are, and how seriously other teams should take them.
Prediction: McLaren 3-1 Fordzilla
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