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‘Solid Points Haul’ as F1 Sim Racing Returns

The F1 Sim Racing World Championship swung back into life on Wednesday. With the drivers and teams gathered at Stockholm, rounds two and three took place on the virtual tracks of Saudi Arabia and Austria.

It was a mixed night for the team. Two top-five finishes helped bring home useful points, but the potential for more was there. The Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Esports Team is determined to deliver even more tonight as rounds four and five get under way at Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps.

What Our Drivers Said

"It was a decent day all around for me," Jake Benham said. Top 10 starts in both races provided a strong platform. Jake took advantage, finishing P5 in Jeddah before improving to P4 in Austria.

"Ultimately, I believe we had more potential, and the podium was possible in both races. I drove flawlessly up until the last two laps in Austria. It's a solid points-haul though and that's important for the team. Overall, I'm happy with my performance."

It was a tougher evening for Jarno Opmeer. The two-time F1 Esports Champion lined up P12 for both races after difficult qualifying sessions. He battled back in Jeddah to take P7 but his race in Austria came to an end after a Virtual Safety Car period issue.

"It was a difficult day for me," Jarno explained. "Two tough qualifying sessions made life difficult. I made up some good positions in Jeddah but unfortunately, a Virtual Safety Car in Austria compromised my race.

"Tomorrow is a new day though. I'm looking forward to getting back on track. The aim is always to win and I will be doing everything I can to maximise our points scoring. It's a strenuous format but I'm feeling optimistic."

What's Up Next?

Tonight's racing gets under way with qualifying in the afternoon before both races are shown live on F1's YouTube, Facebook, and Twitch channels from 17:00 BST.

Our driver line-up will look a little different too with Dani Bereznay lining up alongside Jarno. The five-time F1 Esports race winner is ready to get back behind the wheel, having taken a top-six finish in this year's opening round in Bahrain.

"I am very excited as we are racing on two incredible tracks tonight in Silverstone and Spa-Francorchamps. No matter what happens, I will enjoy it but obviously the goal is to win," he said.

"I have less experience compared to some drivers have sat out last night's races. That has enabled me to focus my efforts on these two circuits though, so that may play in my favour. I will be giving it my absolute all so let's see what happens this evening."

Make sure you follow all the action via our Esports Team social channels:

Twitter: @MercedesF1Esp

Instagram: mercedesf1esports

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