until Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League
Red Bull Racing Esports took another two race wins in the Pro Teams competition of the Le Mans Esports series.
Its driver for this round, Robin Betka, won the sprint race by over five seconds and the endurance race by over nine seconds.
Championship leaders Lazarus Racing, which fielded Ross May for this round, finished the sprint race in second.
In this round all the racers drove a Lancia Corse Beta Montecarlo Turbo and both the sprint and endurance races took place around the Circuit of the Americas.
Neither race was incident free with Michael Coyne of Solar Vision Racing being pushed and half spun whilst going around the first corner. He recovered to finish in third after a lengthy battle for the final podium position with Team Fordzilla driver Anthony Diel.
Fast Racers Forza also battled hard against Ford’s Esports team and made the move for fourth place stick down the inside of turn 11.
The endurance race saw a myriad of different incidents. The most notable of which involved Red Bull Racing Esports which spun around after getting rear ended at turn 12 on only the first lap.
Lazarus Racing, which moved up to second before the end of the second lap despite starting the race in 16th, tried to let the Legion of Racers car back through after making an overly aggressive overtake but got caught out by the pack of cars behind and was forced off the track and down to eighth.
Both teams recovered though with Red Bull in second place by lap 18 and then at turn 11 pulled off a switchback move on Lazarus Racing to get the momentum down the back straight, take the inside line for turn 12 and the eventual race win.
Fast Racers Forza finished the endurance race in third, Total Performance Racing fourth, Solar Vision Racing fifth after pitting at the end of the first lap and undercutting RYZE Motorsport’s stop by 21 laps.
Those two teams were two of the few to pit, unusual since everyone pitted in the two previous endurance races.
Heading into this round Lazarus Racing led the championship and it still does, but Red Bull Racing Esports have overtaken Total Performance Racing and now finds itself only five points off the top.
Total Performance Racing, Fast Racers Forza, RYZE Motorsport and Solar Vision Racing round off the all important top six places which is where teams need to finish to qualify for the Super Final.
In the first of five races in the Pro Teams rounds Jacob Bowkett for JOTA eSport won the sprint race meanwhile Tobin Leigh started the endurance race from 15th of 16 yet still took the chequered flag for Lazarus Racing.
Both races in the second Pro Team round were won by Red Bull Racing Esport’s Aurélien Mallet.
Before the next, and second to last Pro Teams event, there will be another rivals round for individuals to compete in and earn their place in the in person Super Final taking place at the Circuit de la Sarthe just before the real life 24 Hours of Le Mans starts.
There will also be the second of third amateurs rounds taking place during the week of the 1000 miles of Sebring WEC race. Spectators can compete onsite and the fastest three will also be invited to the Super Final and be drafted onto a team with two pro drivers
