until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Jernej Simoncic won the inaugural Sim Masters race in the All-Star Series powered by ROKiT Phones, while Alen Terzic prevailed in the reverse-grid contest.
Reigning All-Star champion Erhan Jajovski shared the front row with Simoncic in the opening race, got a much better start than the poleman and took the race lead into the first corner.
On the fifth of seven laps though, Simoncic made a move for the race lead around the outside of the first corner of the Sepang International Circuit.
Jajosvki didn’t have much of a chance to retake first place as he spun on the kerbs at exit of Turn 11, dropping him down to eighth place.
The Formula V8 cars proved to be tricky even for the simracers to control, as World’s Fastest Gamer winner Rudy van Buren and factory Lamborghini driver Dennis Lind also spun at that part of the track.
Jajovski’s spin meant Bono Huis moved up to finish the first race in second.
The final podium position was taken by Dawid Mroczek as he passed Williams F1 Esports driver Michael Romanidis.
Previous All-Star Series round winner Van Buren had a frenetic race, starting in ninth and moving up to fifth before his spin.
He capitalised on Jajovski’s spin to end the first race in seventh place, finishing behind the other Triple A Esports driver Risto Kappet as well as Alex Siebel.
The second Sim Masters race saw drivers line up on the grid in the reverse order of where they started the first race.
That gave Team Redline driver and previous All-Star Series winner Kevin Siggy pole position.
Jordy Zwiers pulled alongside Siggy on the run down to the first corner and minor contact between the two of them gave Zwiers the lead.
Terzic was able to scythe through the first-lap traffic to take third place and the front three quickly pulled away from the rest of the field.
That led to a three-way fight for first, with Zwiers, Siggy and later Terzic running side-by-side through the first few corners on lap five.
It was Terzic who had the inside line for the fourth corner and he was able to get a good enough exit from it to pass Siggy and Zwiers in one fell swoop and take first place.
Siggy subsequently overtook Zwiers for second around the outside of the next turn. Zwiers lost his place on the podium though as a minor mistake late on dropped him from third to seventh.
Two time F1 Esports champion Brendon Leigh started in 11th, with Williams Esports driver Kuba Brzezinski alongside him in 12th, and both drivers gradually made up ground.
Brzezinski finished the seven-lap race in fourth, with Leigh in fifth place, both gaining roughly one position per lap.
The front-runners from the first race, who all started towards the tail end of the grid, were largely unable to make up many places.
Simoncic finished in 14th, with Huis 12th, Jajovski in 23rd and van Buren in 25th.
