Wehrlein ends Guenther's run of virtual Formula E success

Wehrlein ends Guenther's run of virtual Formula E success

Mahindra's Pascal Wehrlein took a lights-to-flag victory in the third round of Formula E's 'Race at Home Challenge'.

SHOWS: INTERNET (MAY 9, 2020) (FORMULA E OPERATIONS LTD - ACCESS ALL) 1.

VARIOUS OF START OF RACE WITH MAHINDRA'S PASCAL WEHRLEIN TAKING THE LEAD AS THERE IS A PILE UP BEHIND HIM 2.

REPLAY OF RACE START WITH VARIOUS OF CONTACT BETWEEN PANASONIC JAGUAR'S MITCH EVANS AND ROKIT VENTURI'S EDOARDO MORTARA 3.

VARIOUS OF WEHRLEIN LEADING 4.

VARIOUS OF MERCEDES-BENZ EQ'S NYCK DE VRIES PASSING AUDI SPORT'S DANIEL ABT 5.

REPLAY SHOWING VARIOUS OF CONTACT BETWEEN DS TECHEETAH'S ANTONIO FELIX DA COSTA AND JEAN-ERIC VERGNE AND NIO 333'S OLIVER TURVEY WHICH CAUSES A PILE UP 6.

VARIOUS OF WEHRLEIN'S FINAL LAP 7.

WEHRLEIN CROSSING THE LINE FOR VICTORY UNKNOWN LOCATION (MAY 9, 2020) (FORMULA E OPERATIONS LTD - ACCESS ALL) 8.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) MAHINDRA FORMULA ONE DRIVER AND RACE WINNER, PASCAL WEHRLEIN, SAYING: "Yeah, the start was very important obviously, so, after that I think, I don't know what happened behind me, but it looked like a small crash.

So, yeah after that I had a small gap and then I just kept the pace more or less.

I'm the same like Stoffel (Vandoorne), probably in the end I was a bit quicker, but, yeah, for me it was quite an easy race." STORY: Mahindra's Pascal Wehrlein took a lights-to-flag victory in the third round of Formula E's 'Race at Home Challenge' on Saturday (May 9) to end BMWi Andretti driver Maximilian Guenther's run of success in the esports series.

Starting from pole on a virtual Monaco layout, the German beat Mercedes' Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne -- pole sitter in the previous two races -- by 3.63 seconds with compatriot Guenther third.

"The start was very important... after that I had a small gap and I just kept the pace.

For me, it was quite an easy race," said Wehrlein.

Guenther, winner of the two previous races as well as a Monaco test event, had started sixth but swept up to third on the opening lap thanks to others tangling in a first corner pile-up.

The German now leads Wehrlein, who set the fastest lap of the race, in the standings by 21 points.

The esports series is filling the gap left by the all-electric Formula E season being suspended due to COVID-19, with the regular race drivers competing on simulators from their homes around the world.

(Production: Stefan Haskins)