The F1 Esports New Balance Pro Series 3 got underway yesterday evening, at the Gfinity Arena in London, and it was full of interesting talking points. Newcomer David Tonizza blew away the competition, while two-time reigning champion Brendon Leigh had a less than ideal start to the new campaign. David Tonizza was drafted by the newest addition to F1 Esports scene, Ferrari, in the F1 New Balance Esports Series 3 Pro Draft back in July; he certainly repaid the faith put into him by topping the drivers championship table.
This first event was just the first of four, the final of which will take place on the 4th December 2019. You can read more about the upcoming events and details on the F1 Esports Pro Series 3 here. Meanwhile, the Challenger Series for the next season of F1 Esports is currently underway - you can watch the highlights on our YouTube channel here.
Read More: F1 2019: F1 New Balance Esports Pro Series 3 Dates, Times, Prize Pool, Venue, Drivers And More
Pro Series 3 Recap
A surprising night ended with David Tonizza topping the drivers championship, he managed to claim 65 points with back-to-back wins in the first two races. Brendon Leigh had a poor qualifying session in all 3 races and as a result he struggled to finish in the podium places. However, despite those rocky qualifiers he had some good races and finished much higher than where he started.
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Race 1 - Bahrain Internation Circuit, Bahrain
In a race that saw Brendon Leigh start in 10th, he catapaulted himself up the order early on to finish 5th. However, all eyes were on David Tonizza and Daniel Bereznay. A fierece fight between the two came to a climax at the start of lap 6, as Tonizza overtook Bereznay at the first turn. With Bereznay eager to regain the lead, he surged after Tonizza down the inside line at turn 4. Tonizza turned inward and Bereznay clipped the back wheel, causing him to spin off the track and finish outside of the top 10.
1st - David Tonizza (Ferrari Driver Academy)2nd - Jarno Opmeer (Renault Sport Team Vitality)3rd - Salih Satunc (Alfa Romeo Racing F1 Esports)
The top 10 racers can be found here.
"HE'S HIT HIM" 😵@DavidTonizza takes the lead from @FormulaDani and to add salt to the wound he's spun him out! #F1Esports#F12019📺 https://t.co/QdgVB3jEIu 📺 pic.twitter.com/f4Zu6dSZCT
— Gfinity Esports (@Gfinity)
September 11, 2019
Race 2 - Shanghai International Circuit, China
Once again the fight of the night unfolded between David Tonizza and Daniel Bereznay, ending with another silky overtake from the Italian. Bereznay had actually managed to damange his break pedal, meaning he was unable to continue the race, as Tonizza went on to finish 1st for a second time.
1st - David Tonizza (Ferrari Driver Academy)2nd - Frederik Rasmussen (Red Bull Racing Esports)3rd - Marcel Kiefer (SportPesa Racing Point F1 Esports)
The top 10 racers can be found here.
"THE FERARRI IS IN THE LEAD AGAIN!" 💪@DavidTonizza fancies his chances at an overtake and it pays off - what a night the Italian is having! 🇮🇹 #F1Esports#F12019pic.twitter.com/lIWFxwCzy8
— Gfinity Esports (@Gfinity)
September 11, 2019
Race 3 - Baku, Azerbaijan
Where David Tonizza had stolen the headlines in race 1 and 2, it was all about Frederik Rasmussen in the 3rd. Rasmussen had a great first race, but didn't finish in the top 10. He remained calm and confident with a 2nd place in race 2 and finished 1st in the third - firmly putting him in 2nd for the drivers championship.
1st - Frederik Rasmussen (Red Bull Racing Esports)2nd - Tino Naukkarinen (Williams Esports)3rd - David Tonizza (Ferrari Driver Academy)
The top 10 racers can be found here.
What a way to kick start the @F1@NewBalance Pro Series 3! 🏎️Join us again on the 2nd October for more @Formula1game action! #F1Esports#F12019 👋https://t.co/happIHLWQapic.twitter.com/ioLCziWod6
— Gfinity Esports (@Gfinity)
September 11, 2019
What's Next?
The next event takes place on the 2nd October 2019, once again from the Gfinity Arena in London. You can read more about it here.
Follow us on Twitter for the latest F1 2019 news. Tweet us what you thought of the action from event 1!
Written ByChris Trout@TheTrout91