It’s now or never! Now in its fifth season, the MotoGP™ eSport Championship is back with the Pro Draft stage of the series coming to a close. The fourth and final Online Challenge will demand a whole new skill set from each and every one of the gaming hopefuls.
The fourth online Challenge of the new MotoGP™ eSport World Championship will see challengers from around the world take on the world-famous Circuit of Jerez – Angel Nieto with eight-time world champion Marc Marquez’s Repsol Honda RC213V.
Spread across 2.75 miles of glorious, flowing asphalt, Jerez offers a tremendous test of machine balance and riding ability, with lush, fast curves punctuated by a number of heavy braking zones and slow hairpins.
The layout always provides drama: the final turn (the Jorge Lorenzo corner) has been the scene of incredible last lap drama. The 1996, 2005 and 2013 MotoGP races concluded there in memorable, dramatic fashion.
The lap begins with a short dash to turn one. Upright, straight line braking is required for turn one, as gamers drop down four gears from sixth to second for the tight right. Then comes a brief acceleration point before yet more heavy braking for turn two, taken in first gear.
Then the fun starts. Shift up one gear before picking the bike up and flicking to the left for turn three and then gradually upshift, gently accelerating through turn four and up the hill to the Sito Pons Curve.
A glorious, long right-hand bend, turn five should be taken in third and will test the gamer’s throttle control to the max. After shifting up to fourth on the exit there is a brief chance to catch you breath on the short run down to turn six, now known as the Dani Pedrosa Corner.
Another famous overtaking hotspot, players will go back to first gear for this tight left hairpin before another fabulous flowing section awaits. The brilliant turn seven, taken in third gear, tests bravery and throttle control to the full. No braking here.
Then gently brake before turn eight before aiming for the middle of the track and accelerating gradually all the way toward turn nine, the beginning of the famous stadium section at this great track.
It’s down to second gear for turn nine – a slow right – before going up a gear for turn ten. Then it’s time to start working the right hand side of the tyre, with the tremendous plunges into the two fast rights at turn eleven and twelve offering the chance for the perfect fast run toward the final hairpin. Taken in first gear, turn 13 is the last chance for an overtaking move in what is likely to be another close race.