BMW i Andretti Motorsport's Maximilian Guenther is currently two for two after winning both the test event and opening round of the ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge. Both of his victories have been runaway races, but now with a full field of 24 official drivers in Round 2 can anyone stop him?
"In esports, it is a lot about the ability of the driver to adapt as quickly as possible to new circumstances," opens Guenther on why he's been so strong in the online arena, "This has always been one of my strengths and I believe this is what makes me strong in the competition at the moment."
This adaptability has been key to Guenther's meteoric rise in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship this season. Not only has the German been victorious in the Race at Home Challenge, but he has also immediately gelled with the BMW i Andretti Motorsport outfit. Having scored a debut win at the Santiago E-Prix and a podium in Marrakesh before the season was suspended.
Now the 22-year-old from Oberstdorf in Germany has continued this momentum into the virtual world, with success in the Race at Home Challenge and some impressive appearances in other sim racing events, but he admits, "Before the lockdown, I wasn't involved in virtual racing at all. I always had the philosophy to prepare with the team simulator ahead of the races."
The sim rigs that the drivers are using provide some rumble feedback through the steering wheel, but this can't compare to the read world as Guenther explains: "It’s a different feeling, but still, the basic information like reference points on boards or walls remain."
"You don’t really feel the car, the feedback you get on the steering wheel is the only big information you have in the simulators that we use for the online racing."
But unlike racing in real life, the Formula E drivers don't need to worry about conserving energy and can focus purely on their race and keeping out of any trouble.
"Currently, there is no energy management in the races," said Guenther, "For this reason, the focus is on pure race pace, consistency, not making mistakes and also managing the tires as they degrade during the race."
Round 2 of the Race at Home Challenge sees a full complement of official drivers from the ABB Formula E Championship, with Envision Virgin Racing's Sam Bird finally joining the mix.
On his rivals for the virtual crown, Guenther said: "As always in Formula E, the competition is very strong. If I would need to pick one or two drivers I would go for Stoffel [Vandoorne] and Pascal [Wehrlein]. I believe they will be amongst the main challengers in the next few weeks."
Will Guenther continue his race-winning streak, or will we see a new victor in the ABB Formula E Race at Home? Tune in to all the action today at 15:30 BST and make sure to get your predictions in for the Allianz E-Predictor.