Christopher Högfeldt (Virtualdrivers by TX3) is the new champion of the ADAC GT Masters eSports Championship! The Swede collects €7.500 in prize money and follows in the footsteps of Moritz Löhner (Dörr Esports), who previously secured the title three times in a row. Högfeldt ultimately had one more point in the overall standings than Bence Bánki (Dörr Esports – Ascher Racing), who was able to win both races at the season finale at Monza with the help of his teammates but came up just short. Högfeldt, on the other hand, almost lost the championship with a momentous mistake that kept the stewards busy for quite a while after the event.
In the main race, Högfeldt had crossed the white line at the pit exit. For Monza, it was clearly explained in the drivers’ briefing that this is forbidden and will be punished with a time penalty. However, as further penalties were handed out after the race evening, the Swede remained just ahead. Third place was secured by Jack Keithley (Williams Esports). Together with Leonard Krippner (Dörr Esports – Ascher Racing), Bánki won the newly introduced team classification and the prize money of €5.500.
From the very beginning, the SimRacers of the Dörr Esports team worked together and gave their all to help Bánki win the championship. On the high-speed Monza track, they gave each other slipstream, helping Bánki secure pole position. In addition, teammates Löhner and Krippner also qualified ahead of Högfeldt, who started in fourth. The duo was able to hold off the Swede in the first few laps, but Högfeldt eventually prevailed and tried to catch up with Bánki. However, the latter stayed in front and kept the championship open with his first win of the season.
Bánki also took pole position for the main race. This time, Krippner and Leon Rüdinger (Arnage Competition) separated him from Högfeldt, who was again fourth. The Swede did not put up with being kept behind again and drove right behind Bánki on the first lap. Högfeldt was unable to get past despite several attacks and therefore decided to make an early pit stop. But on the way out he made the crucial mistake: Although it was pointed out several times in the drivers’ briefing, he crossed the white line in anticipation. As he did not notice the mistake himself, he did not work out a strategy to absorb the coming time penalty. Due to some duels he lost time again and again, and the field moved closer together. The Swede finished the race behind Bánki and Emre Cihan (Team Fordzilla) in third position, but still had could not be sure of the result because of the time penalty.
A busy few days followed as the stewards of the ADAC GT Masters eSports Championship and Raceroom officials still had to deal with several protests and penalties after the race. After evaluation of all available data and after control by the race management of the real ADAC GT Masters, the penalties imposed ensured that Högfeldt had finally collected 353 points and Bánki 352 points – making the Slovenian miss out on the title by the slimmest of margins.
