Formula E Accelerate champion wins real life test | FOS Future Lab | GRR

With the sixth round of the championship, set at the Rome ePrix circuit, worth double-points, Jajovski would have been forgiven for feeling a little comfortable. The North Macedonian driver had been in the points lead of the championship at every stage of the season so far, with three wins from five events, and held a 26-point lead over his nearest rival: Rasmussen.

Red Bull driver Rasmussen, perhaps better known for his F1 Esports performances, has been in solid form recently and laid down the early marker with his third successive pole position. The margin was more than 0.2s, with Red Bull team-mate Graham Carroll in second - though the two drive for Dragon Penske and Envision Virgin respectively in the series. Jajovski could only manage third, while the only other driver who could take the title, Kevin Siggy Rebernak, in sixth.

Despite some early close-quarters battling, the front three came out in the same order as they started, but despite pulling out an advantage, Rasmussen couldn’t outrun the points system. Jajovski’s third place would be enough to give him the title, with the drivers tied, by virtue of his three race wins - with Siggy setting the fastest lap and holding the bonus point as he brawled through the field up to fourth.

Rasmussen took his first Attack Mode with 15 minutes remaining and managed to stay ahead of Carroll as he ran wide over the activation zone. Crucially, with the extra 26PS, he was able to set the fastest lap of the race, and put himself clear at the top of the championship.

Jajovski was soon to follow, hoping to capture the fastest lap for himself, but ran wide at turn eight and picked up front-right damage. That would soon see him fall back into the clutches of F1 Esports champion Jarno Opmeer, and Siggy shortly afterwards.

There was no such drama at the front of the field though, with Rasmussen two seconds clear of Carroll, who himself was eight seconds ahead of Opmeer in third. With the fastest lap too - by 0.8s from the nearest challenger – Rasmussen would complete the first grand slam of the season.

Jajovski was able to claim fourth, courtesy of a post-race penalty for Siggy for some of the excessive contact in those early race battles, but it wasn’t enough to stop Rasmussen taking the title. That result gives Rasmussen both the €20,000 first prize and a real-world test in a Gen2 Formula E car.

Firm pre-season favourite James Baldwin bounced back from last week’s disappointment with an overwhelming victory in the second round of the British GT Esports series at Snetterton.

The former World Fastest Gamer, who in 2020 drove a McLaren 720S GT3 for Jenson Button’s RJN Team Rocket in the real British GT championship, set pole position ahead of real-life team-mate Michael O’Brien, but it was O’Brien who took the lead early on.

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Images courtesy of Formula E.