Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team took part in an all Formula One affair in the V10 R-League as the team battled Red Bull Racing Esports at Spa and Mugello.
Entering the latest round undefeated, the trio of Lucas Blakeley, Daniele Haddad and Shanaka Clay closely matched the Red Bull trio of Graham Carroll, Joni Törmälä and Néstor García throughout.
The event began with a Relay and Team race at Spa-Francorchamps for a pair of dramatic and challenging races.
Daniele started the Relay race and lined up behind Garcia on the grid. The Red Bull driver looked to be clear through the first corner, but Daniele soon rapidly advanced, closing up Eau Rouge and pulling alongside his rival at the end of the Kemmel Straight.
While Garcia continued onto his joker lap, Daniele handed over to Lucas and the following lap proved tense as Garcia’s team-mate Carroll jumped into the car and came out of the pitlane inches ahead of Lucas for the third tour.
Lucas pressured Carroll throughout the lap before handing over to Shanaka, who narrowly came home second behind Törmälä, despite a late move from the Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team driver into the Bus Stop chicane.
The Team race proved just as close with Lucas leading from the front before the race turned on its head at Les Combes.
Shanaka’s race was then undone in contact with Carroll at the Bus Stop chicane, which left Lucas and Daniele to take up the battle against the leading Törmälä.
Despite the constant pressure, Carroll was able to get by Daniele late on for third and Lucas’s second-placed finish wasn’t enough to prevent Red Bull from victory.
Mugello presented a clean slate and a chance for the team to begin the comeback.
The Relay race started with Daniele against Carroll as the Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team driver launched a move around the outside of Turn 1.
While initially rebuked, Daniele kept the pressure on across the entire first lap and helped push Red Bull into a pitlane speeding penalty, which gave the team a boost.
Lucas would then head out with a five-second headstart on Red Bull and managed the gap across his two laps before Shanaka jumped in to complete the win.
With the scores at 2-1 in Red Bull’s favour, Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team had the chance to draw level in the Team race – before luck cruelly went against the trio of drivers.
An incredible three-wide start into the opening corners ended with a Red Bull nudging Daniele off the track and delaying Shanaka.
Lucas would again take on Törmälä before a late spin ended his chances of taking victory from the clutches of Red Bull.
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