The V10 R-League Season 3 has all come down to this.
Five high-octane weeks of action whittled the pack down to our playoff contenders, and the wildcard round confirmed the four semi-finalists.
The action now moves to Abu Dhabi as the V10 R-League is the finale of Yas Gaming Month.
Both the semi-finals and final will be coming live from Yas Mall this week. A live LAN sim racing esports hasn't been seen for a few years, so the nerves are sure to be frayed as drivers get to lineup against their opponents on the big stage!
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The semi-finals run on 22 July with the 3rd place playoff and final on 23 July live on BT Sport, YouTube, and Twitch. Who will take home the lion's share of the £100,000 prize pool? Let's see!
Team Redline vs R8G
Friday 22nd July – 15:00 BST - WATCH LIVE - BT Sport 2
Redline: Enzo Bonito, Kevin Siggy & Jeffrey Reitveld
R8G: Jiri Toman, Marcell Csincsik, Erhan Jajovski
The first semi-final clash is between Group A winners Team Redline and R8G, who advanced through the wildcard ties. Redline has been here before, being the inaugural V10 R-League champions in 2020. R8G is making their first appearance in the V10 R-League semi-finals.
Redline is undoubtedly the favourites here, having come out on top in an all-star clash against Mercedes in Week 5. However, R8G has sprung some big surprises so far with a clean sweep against defending champions BMW and their win against Aston Martin in the playoffs.
R8G will be hoping their consistent trio can be a match for Redline, but Kevin Siggy is a previous V10 Champion and both Enzo Bonito and Jeffrey Reitveld are superb talents.
Prediction: Redline 3-1 R8G
YAS Heat vs Mercedes
Friday 22nd July – 19:00 BST - WATCH LIVE - BT Sport 2
YAS Heat: James Baldwin, Isaac Gillissen, Marko Pejic
Mercedes: Bono Huis, Jarno Opmeer & Cedric Thome
The second semi-final is between Group B winners YAS Heat and runners-up from Group A Mercedes. YAS Heat is the home team and will have the support of the crowd to fuel them. However, Mercedes is arguably the favourites, having the likes of F1 Esports champion Jarno Opmeer on their team.
YAS Heat is far from a pushover though. Rapid racer James Baldwin leads their squad and is potentially the fastest driver in the whole V10 R-League. This should be a remarkably close battle.
This is the best-ever season for YAS Heat, having made the wildcard round last season. Mercedes, meanwhile, is enjoying their debut campaign in the R-League and could potentially go all the way.
Prediction: Mercedes 3-1 YAS Heat
Grand Final
Saturday 23rd July – 16:00 BST - WATCH LIVE - BT Sport 1
The teams won't have much time to rest after the semi-final. Both the 3rd place playoff and Grand Final will be held on Saturday.
Teams usually get to pick the tracks they race on in the V10 R-League, but for the Grand Final the teams will be racing around the world-famous Yas Marina and Silverstone circuits.
While we are predicting a Redline-Mercedes rematch, YAS Heat certainly has every chance to get to the big race.
R8G is the least likely to make it to the final, but they have been full of surprises all season and will be brimming with confidence after their wildcard round.
It all comes down to who adapts best to a live stage and racing away from their own setup. Drivers that can get comfortable the quickest are likely to go all the way this weekend.
If we had to pick a winner (which we do!) it would be Redline. They have been imperious this season, but even they aren't bulletproof.
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