V10 R League Williams vs McLaren Shadow preview - Both teams need the points!


As we reach the mid-way stage of the groups, teams are starting to become desperate for points as they seek a path to the playoffs.

Two teams with immense pedigree are squaring off in Group B of the V10 R-League, and both have eyes on the championship. Who will come out on top?

Can Williams bounce back?

An opening 4-0 win against JAESA Suzuki was almost immediately reversed by a 3-1 loss to BMW for the Williams Esports team.

Five points from two races isn't a bad return, but with only one team progressing automatically to the semi-finals, every dropped point counts, and defeat to BMW will have really hurt.

Williams week 2 v10
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ON THE BACK FOOT: Williams suffered an unexpected reversal last time out

With a season's more experience than McLaren, Williams will be hoping to use that edge to walk away with at least three points and keep their nose out in front of the new hot-shot team.

Cutting out the errors

McLaren's first match in the V10 R-League was full of small mistakes from the team that ended up costing them points.

Lead driver James Baldwin sped in the pitlane in the first relay race, and then there was the huge crash in Spa that Elvin Smith was responsible for.

McLaren week 2 v10
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ROOKIE MOVE: McLaren Shadow have a few issues to iron out

Both those errors gave Fordzilla the edge, and it ended in a 2-2 draw. However, McLaren's pace was very competitive, signalling their championship credentials to Group B, and the whole V10 R-League.

So who will come out on top in this one?

Prediction

Williams has picked Mugello and Silverstone as a home race so far, with McLaren also picking the Tuscany track in their race.

It's likely that both teams will avoid Mugello for this match, as overtaking is so hard it tends to favour a team with an outright pace advantage, and these sides seem pretty balanced.

Instead, we are likely to see Monza and Spa in action here, as both allow the trailing team to make a move for the lead.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I47-lBlYNcY

McLaren would seem to have a pace advantage with one car, that of James Baldwin, while Williams' trio should be stronger than the three of McLaren. That makes for an interesting dynamic in ever race. Will Williams be able to force someone other than Baldwin to take the joker lap? Can they bottle him up in the team race and stretch a lead?

The flexibility Williams has with strategy and their experience should make the difference here. However, don't count McLaren Shadow out. Both Isaac Gillisson and Elvin Smith have shown flashes of strong pace and with one race under their belts they will only get better.

Prediction: Williams 2-2 McLaren Shadow

How to watch

Fans in the UK & Ireland can catch the whole match on BT Sport 2 at 8pm BST on Monday, 26 April.

Those in the USA will be able to watch the match at 6pm EST on ESPN3.

ESPN will also be carrying the match the next day across the Netherlands, the Caribbean, Latin America, Canada, and Oceania!

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