Berlin (dpa) - Charles Leclerc could not continue his triumphal march in the virtual racing series of Formula 1. The 22-year-old Monegasse had to settle for third place on the simulated course from Interlagos near São Paulo.
Ferrari driver Leclerc had won the two races previously, but this time also lost a place by a three-second penalty. "I still enjoyed it very much," he said, audibly enthusiastic and connected from Monte Carlo.
British-Thai Red Bull driver Alex Albon celebrated as the winner in the fourth race of the series, which was created primarily as entertainment replacement for Formula 1 fans due to the Grand Prix cancellations caused by the coronavirus pandemic . "I was trembling, I had so much adrenaline in me," he commented.
The 24-year-old had a thrilling duel with overtaking maneuvers en masse over 36 laps with Leclerc. George Russell of Williams finished second. David Schumacher, 19 year old son of the former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, came eleventh at his premiere.
The Grand Prix of the virtual series always take place on Sundays on which, according to the original planning, a racing Sunday would have been real. This time, the motorsport premier class would have returned to Zandvoort.
The course in the Netherlands is not one of the racetracks of the Formula 1 game of 2019, in which the drivers usually compete from home in their own racing simulators. Six-time world champion Lewis Hamilton from Mercedes or Leclerc's German Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel have not yet participated.
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