As with every FANATEC GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup weekend, the Saturday is reserved for the virtual competition in FANATEC ESports GT Pro series, with the No. 88 Akkodis-ASP Mercedes of Daniel Juncadella playing the tactics right to win the special round at Suzuka, proving again the he has as much skill in sim racing as he has with the real cars.
But then, why Suzuka? Due to Hockenheim being added only this year to FANATEC GT World Challenge Europe, it isn’t featured in Assetto Corsa Competizione, which made the organization rely on social media to choose the track to compete, with Suzuka being the choice, which also breaks the usual scene of the virtual race being another rehearsal for the real race on the next day.
An all Akkodis-ASP front row dictated the start, with Tommaso Mosca leading Daniel Juncadella while Arthur Rougier was hot on the Spaniard’s back wing. Rougier lost contact with the Akkodis-ASP machines over time, allowing Luca Ghiotto to come closer and pass for third place.
Protecting both the overall and class leads, Daniel Juncadella was the first to stop from the top contenders, being cycled back to second once the others went to serve the mandatory pit stop, but what Mosca didn’t count with was that Juncadella was faster on clean air, moving to first place with ease on minute 35 of racing. Further back, Rougier recovered the third place from Ghiotto, but he still had the No. 12 Car Collection Audi on his rear view, who took the third position back a few laps later, leaving Rougier as prey for Kelvin van der Linde in the No. 32 WRT Audi.
After doing his move during the pit window, Juncadella wasn’t threatened, scoring a mighty victory with Mosca coming home second, completing the Akkodis-ASP 1-2 and winning the Silver Cup, while Luca Ghiotto completed the overall top-3, and Kelvin van der Linde still found time to beat Rougier at the line for the Pro Cup podium and overall fourth.
ESports GT Pro - Suzuka race result
An absent Nicki Thiim still leads the Pro Cup standings with 11 points against 10 of the No. 88 Akkodis-ASP entry, with the No. 50 ROWE BMW being third with 8 points. In the Silver Cup, Alex Aka leads with 15 points against 10 of Tommaso Mosca and 8 of Jannes Fittje and the No. 159 Garage 59 entry.
Next FANATEC ESports GT Pro race will be at the Barcelona season finale on 2 October.
PHOTO: SRO/Jules Benichou
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