F1 Esports 2021 Event 2: Can Red Bull bounce back? Start times, tracks, standings & more

After a wet and wild first week, F1 Esports is back for three more races as the series speeds toward the halfway point.

As fans expected, reigning Champion Jarno Opmeer took an early lead in the standings. He will be looking to cement his hold on the championship in the next round of races, but can Teams' Champions Red Bull get themselves back into the fight? Let's take a look.

F1 Esports 2021 Event 2

The next event takes the best drivers in the world to three truly iconic circuits. Silverstone, Monza, and Spa all pose different but extremely high-speed challenges for drivers.

Silverstone is a surprisingly tricky track to overtake at, given just how much speed you can carry through the circuit. With only two heavy braking zones, neither of which line up with a DRS zone, it will be a race in which qualifying is crucial.

Monza does have some overtaking chances. The Rettifilo and Della Roggia chicanes are both big stops from 200+ MPH, while Ascari offers some opportunities too. While team slipstreaming is banned for qualifying, expect to see some teammates working together in the race to save ERS.

When it comes to Spa the lap length is the real enemy. It will amplify the benefit from the undercut, and if there is rain again then stopping at the right time will be even more crucial. It will be all about finding the overtakes into Les Combes and the Bus Stop chicane at the end of the lap.

Session start times

Can Red Bull bounce back?

The two-time Teams' Champions had a rough start to the 2021 season. Chaotic weather prevented Marcel Kiefer picking up a win in China, while Frede Rasmussen has his customary slow start to the championship.

The Bulls sit 25 points behind Mercedes, but they aren't in a two-horse race this season. Aston Martin, led by F1 Esports' newest winner Lucas Blakeley, sits in second place, and will be looking to leave their mark on this season.

Rasmussen claimed victory in Spa last season, while he was unlucky not to place on the podium in Silverstone. The British track has long been a favourite of Kiefer too, who claimed his first F1 Esports win there in 2019. So can they close the gap to the top?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArCVz_E2Ifk

Certainly, but there are plenty of drivers that can get in their way. Nicolas Longuet at Alpine as well as the FDA pair of David Tonizza and Brendon Leigh are all capable of claiming a victory on their day, not to mention the ominous presence of Jarno Opmeer that lies over the whole grid.

As commentator Alex Jacques told us: "You can't afford to lose 25 points when there are just 12 races." Red Bull has a lot of ground to make up, but they have the drivers to do it.

Standings

For the full driver standings click here