F1 drivers Norris, Verstappen join to win virtual 24 Hours of Spa
McLaren and Red Bull Formula 1 drivers Lando Norris and Max Verstappen respectively teamed up and avoided late drama to win the virtual 24 hours of Spa on iRacing
In a joint entry between Team Redline and the Pure Racing Team, Verstappen and Norris were joined in an Audi R8 LMS GT3 along with their sim racing veteran team-mates Max Benecke and Max Wenig.
They had dominated the majority of the race from pole position, but drama struck late on when Verstappen's brakes failed on his sim racing rig with just 15 minutes of the race remaining.
He lost a lap while recovering to the pitlane where he handed the car over to Norris.
Norris remerged on track with a comfortable lead, taking the chequered flag 27.285s ahead of the second-place car - Pure Racing Team Green, with Patrick Heinrich driving the final stint.
It's a 1-2-3 at the @iRacing 24h race at Spa! ??@TeamRedlineSim @VDbyTX3 @LandoNorris @Max33Verstappen @Slaizze @PRT_MaxW @jonwall_00 @GianniSalvo98 @LehouckArthur @AlexanderThiebe @PRT_CreexX @Pat3085 pic.twitter.com/TduhG8cg4m
— Pure Racing Team (@PureRacingTeam_) July 21, 2019
This isn't the first time Verstappen and Norris have participated in high-profile virtual endurances this year.
During the 12 hours of Bathurst in February, neither were able to start their stints because their team-mate crashed early in the race.
"From the side of Redline, myself and Lando, it was a very cool collaboration," Verstappen said after the race.
"To see how these guys are doing it as well, us coming from the real world and them on the simulators, it was a really good collaboration.
"I hope we can do this again soon."
PRT by TX3 completed the podium ahead of Vendayal Simracing Yellow and Williams Esports.
The second Redline team, featuring World's Fastest Gamer winner Rudy van Buren, had their charge ended prematurely when Ayhancan Guven crashed at Blanchimont.
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