The race report of the seventh Challenge: Barcelona

It couldn't be tighter! The drivers in the Racer and Challenger League put on a thrilling duel on the speedy Circuit de Catalunya. In the Verstappen style of Abu Dhabi 2021, Vojtech Polesny secured provisional victory with an overtaking manoeuvre on the final lap against Gian Teufen.

It would have been the first win of the season for the compatriot of sim racing high-flyer Michal Smidl, but due to a five-second penalty, he fell off the podium completely. Teufen takes the win ahead of Sinan Demirbas and Enrique Maranon. "I put it together well today, hardly made any mistakes and am super happy with the result. But my speed could have been better," analysed the race winner.

Polesny refrained from making a celebratory gesture when he finished. After all, he left the track during the decisive overtaking manoeuvre and also struggled with the track limits. Second-placed Demirbas, who starts for the Munich lounge and had previously had a difficult season, was able to celebrate instead.

"I didn't actually have the pace on the track and had to be very intelligent and manage my Push2Pass activations well," Demirbas summarises. "I hoped that the drivers behind me would fight and slow each other down, and that's exactly what happened. To finish on the podium in my rookie season in the Racer League simply leaves me speechless."

Michal Smidl, championship leader, three-time champion and Simracing team-mate of Max Verstappen, crossed the finish line in fifth place and extended his lead over Sanchez to 27 points. The Spaniard missed out on the points following a penalty. Angelo Michel, third in the standings and the best German in this class, has moved closer. After finishing fourth, the man from Bernbeuren is now just seven points behind the 2021 Racer League champion.

In the Challenger League, things went perfectly for the championship leader. Janik Pletscher ploughed through the field in impressive style and drove to his second win of the season with a lead of over ten seconds. The podium was completed by two drivers from the Madrid lounge: Marcos Valverde and Agustin Torlaschi. Germany's figurehead in the assisted driving class, Nico Fahland, finished the Barcelona race in fourth place.

The action continues in three weeks' time on the Ardennes rollercoaster at Spa-Francorchamps (17/18 November). If you want to compete on one of the world's most popular racetracks, you can qualify for the Challenger League race with a fast lap time in one of the Racing Unleashed lounges in the days leading up to the Challenge. You can find more information below.

Top 3 Racer League

1st Michael Smidl - 104 points

2nd Alejandro Sanchez - 79 points

3rd Angelo Michel - 72 points

Top 3 Challenger League

1st Janik Pletscher - 115 points

2nd Nico Fahland - 95 points

3rd Marcos Valverde - 83 points