2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship: All the key moments from Event 1 at DreamHack

The 2026 Sim Racing World Championship kicked off over the weekend, with 21 of the best esports drivers battling it out over three races in front of a live audience at DreamHack in Birmingham.

There were loads of overtakes, a couple of crashes, and plenty of drama, as Red Bull’s Jarno Opmeer earned an early lead in the Drivers’ Championship, with Alpine’s Otis Lawence and Williams’ Nicolas Longuet in hot pursuit.

Here is a recap of the first three rounds of the season...

Round 1: China

The season kicked off at the Shanghai International Circuit in China, with plenty watching the drivers on stage in Birmingham for the first Qualifying session of the year. In standard Sim Racing fashion, the margins were razor thin, with the top nine separated by just over two tenths of a second. It was Frederik Rasmussen who took the first pole position of 2026, with Red Bull team mate and defending Champion Opmeer back in P5. Last year’s polesitter Ulas Ozyildirim and Williams’ Nicolas Longuet completed the top three.

Rasmussen was in no mood to repeat last year’s poor championship start, holding off Ozyildirim on the final few laps to convert pole into an opening race victory. The Dane looked comfortable throughout as he carved through the field on his medium-to-hard strategy – with Ozyildirim and Alfie Butcher making up the rest of the podium.

There was disappointment for Longuet after he suffered a slow start to come home in P8, while it was fourth for Red Bull’s Opmeer. Alpine’s Lawrence looked in good shape on the alternative strategy, but he failed to get past the Dutchman before going wide in Turn 14, dropping him back to P7.

Round 2: Japan

The grid returned on Saturday for Qualifying at Suzuka, with wet conditions providing plenty of drama in all three sessions. Traffic and a slippery track caught out Opmeer, who could only manage P14 in his Red Bull. A dry Q3 was once again incredibly tight, but Rasmussen made it two poles from two, edging out Lawrence by 0.012 seconds – Longuet, Fahssi and Thomas Ronhaar made up the rest of the top five.

But it was disaster for Rasmussen and Longuet, who both jumped the start to earn 10-second time penalties, essentially ruling them out of contention for the win. Rasmussen eventually retired after several trips off-track, and while Longuet crossed the line in first place, his penalty dropped him down to P4, promoting a delighted Lawrence to P1. The Welshman drove a calm race as his rivals slipped up, with Fahssi and Jake Benham completing the podium – the latter pipping Longuet by just 0.036 seconds. Elsewhere, Daniel Berezeny ensured it was a great day for Alpine, coming home in P5, with Ronhaar claiming Mercedes first points in P8.

Round 3: Bahrain

The Bahrain International Circuit hosted the final day at DreamHack on Sunday, with Qualifying providing a few early shocks in the Sim Racing world. The 19-year-old Joris Croezen and Benham surprisingly both fell in Q1 having performed well in Japan and China, while Opmeer made it back-to-back Q2 exits as he finished down in P12. Less than a tenth separated the top seven in Q3, as Fahssi continued his great form, snatching pole from Lawrence with a last-gasp effort – Longuet, Ronhaar, and Ozyildirim rounded off the top five.

Chaos is the only way to describe the race – but it was the three-time Champion Opmeer who showed his class to storm through the field and take his first win of the 2026 season. The drama really began on Lap 23, as Racing Bulls’ Ozyildirim misjudged his brake point, making contact with Butcher, ending the McLaren’s race and sending the Turkish driver down the order.

Opmeer’s fresh tyres were working wonders, moving him from P14 when he pitted to P4 with two laps to go. On the penultimate lap, Fahssi, Longuet, and Lawrence went three-wide into Turn 11, opening the door for the Dutchman to overtake three cars in one corner and take the lead. Opmeer drove away as six cars behind him battled for the podium, and although Fahssi and Longuet crossed the line in P2 and P3, post-race penalties for several crashes promoted Longuet to second and Ruben Pedreno to the podium. Ferrari’s Fahssi dropped to tenth, and Lawrence dropped to eighth.

Standings

After three races, the defending champion Opmeer leads the Drivers’ Championship, with the in-form Lawrence and experienced Longuet just five and six points behind respectively. Rasmussen and Fahssi make up the rest of the top five.

Red Bull are at the top in the team standings with 73 points, 26 ahead of Alpine, with Williams, McLaren, and Ferrari in the chasing pack. F1 Sim Racing returns on 22 and 23 April for Event 2, featuring races in Saudi Arabia, Spain, and Great Britain.