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Image source, Getty Images

W Series leader Beitske Visser proved that her previous domination of the electric series was only a warm-up with two wins from pole position and a last-to-second run in the reverse-grid race to score 60 points at a virtual Interlagos circuit in Brazil and extend her series lead to 52 points.

“This was pretty much the perfect round for me,” said Visser. “In the reverse-grid race I took the same approach as at Brands Hatch – take it easy at the start and avoid the chaos to prevent damage. In the final race I got pole position again and managed to do a good start for once."

To make Visser’s excellence even more obvious, it was revealed that she has been sharing her race settings with other drivers in order to help them.

The Netherlands ace also bagged the fastest lap in all three races and was unlucky not to get a 63-point maximum score as her nearest title rival, Irina Sidorkova, took advantage of a spin in the first race to win the second race from a favourable reverse-grid position.

Visser went from the back of the grid to 12th within 60 seconds of the second race and was in third four minutes later as pole-sitter Naomi Schiff spun early on and Fabienne Wohlwend’s car ended on its roof in a dramatic 15 minutes of racing.

Spain’s Marta Garcia moved up to third place in the standings after netting 45 points from two second places and a fifth in the second race.

Image source, Getty Images

With the 2020 W Series postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the W Series Esports League has been launched to fill the void until an expanded 2021 on-track calendar is started.

The Esports League is a 10-round series, taking place every Thursday from 11 June. Similarly to the on-track version it is women-only racing but this time via simulation.

All 18 drivers that qualified for the on-track W Series are expected to take part alongside some previous W Series drivers.

How will it work?

Each round will feature three races:

• Race 1: 15 mins
• Race 2 (reverse grid): 15 mins
• Race 3: 20 mins

The starting grid for the reverse-grid race will be determined by the finishing positions from race one. To promote close, fair competition and an authentic ‘League’ feel, points for each race will be awarded as follows:

• Race 1: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st – 15th) & one point for fastest lap
• Race 2: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st – 15th) & one point for fastest lap
• Race 3: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st – 15th) & one point for fastest lap

At the end of the W Series Esports League season, the driver who has scored the most points will be declared the winner of the W Series Esports League.

Great Britain's Jamie Chadwick, who won the 2019 W Series Championship, was among the 18 drivers taking part, that were due to race in the on-track 2020 Championships, but 22-year-old has since dropped out after she secured a seat in the Regional Formula 3 Championship.

The remaining 17 drivers will be joined by some specially invited guests to form a larger field with drivers from across the world taking part in the 10-round series.

Great Britain are now represented by Alice Powell (third in the 2019 standings) Sarah Moore (eighth in 2019), Jessica Hawkins (11th in 2019) and Abbie Eaton.

The full list of drivers:

Ayla Agren (Norway), Alice Powell, Sarah Moore, Jessica Hawkins, Abbie Eaton (all GB), Sabre Cook (USA), Belen Garcia, Marta Garcia, Nerea Marti (all Spain), Emma Kimilainen (Finland), Miki Koyama (Japan), Tasmin Pepper (South Africa), Vicky Piria (Italy), Gosia Rdest (Poland), Naomi Schiff (Rwanda), Irina Sidorkova (Russia), Bruna Tomaselli (Brazil), Beitske Visser (Netherlands), Fabienne Wohlwend (Liechtenstein), Caitlin Wood (Australia).

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Lewis Hamilton has not ruled out continuing his to "take a knee" at Formula One races and says he does not want the fight against racism to die a silent death.

Hamilton, one of 14 out of 20 drivers who knelt before the opening round of the 2020 season in Austria, revealed he had been talked out of doing it at the US Grand Prix three years ago.

"There has been awareness on the subject over the last few weeks and we don't need it to see no change," said the world champion. "All of us, myself included, we have to be accountable.

“This started with NFL player Colin Kaepernick. It was suggested to him to take a knee. It was a powerful statement but he lost his job and never got it back.

"I spoke to him before the [2017] US Grand Prix and I had a helmet made in red with his number on the top. But I was silenced and told to back down. I supported that decision which I regret.”

Six of the drivers chose not to make that gesture in Austria at the first race of the season. "I don't want it to be a case of people feeling forced,” said Hamilton. “I want people to think that while they are fortunate not to have experienced racism, they can try to understand what it feels like and want to be part of change so in the future our kids can lead a better quality of life."

Sacked Audi Formula E driver Daniel Abt will return to the series for the final six races of the season after securing a drive with the Nio 333 team as partner to British driver Oliver Turvey.

Abt, 27, was fired by the Audi Abt Schaeffler team – whose manager is his father, Hans-Jurgen Abt - after letting a sims racer take his place in the Race From ���˿��� Challenge, the virtual series organised by Formula E when track racing was ruled out by coronavirus measures.

He had his last Formula E win at Berlin in May 2018 and the remaining seven races of the season will be held there. He will replace Chinese driver Ma Qinghua, who has been ruled out by Covid-related travel restrictions.

The German driver, who has raced at every Formula E event since 2014 – a total of 63 races - will test the Nio car in Britain next month ahead of the Berlin races, six of them in nine days at the Tempelhof track. “I have a lot of experience and input to offer the team,” he said.

Nio manager Vincent Wang called Abt’s signing “a prodigal who has returned,” but also admitted not everyone will welcome the German driver back to the paddock “The controversies surrounding him reached quite a high level and will bring two opposite opinions,” said Wang.

Vietnam’s first Formula One Grand Prix could finally be put on the championship schedule for this season after the chairman of the city of Hanoi appeared to clear a November date for the race at a meeting attended by local media.

The Vietnam Grand Prix had been due to take place on 5 April but had to be postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the country approaching three months without any domestic transmission they are now hoping their wait to stage the race is over.

"We are assessing all virus-related issues - hopefully the race can be resumed by the end of November," Nguyen Duc Chung said at a meeting reported by Reuters.

The 2020 Formula One season started in Austria on Sunday and so far has eight races in Europe, without spectators, lasting until September.

Vietnam’s aggressive, targeted testing programme and a centralised quarantine system kept Covid-19 cases to just 369, with no reported deaths.

���˿��� Sport will have live coverage from all 10 rounds in the W Series Esports League.

Coverage will be available live on ���˿��� iPlayer and the ���˿��� Sport website and app and available to catch up for 30 days.

Full coverage details:

Round five, Spa-Francorchamps - Thursday 9 July, 19:00-20:30

Round six, Watkins Glen - Thursday 16 July, 19:00-20:30

Round seven, Suzuka - Thursday 23 July, 19:00-20:30

Round eight, Mount Panorama - Thursday 30 July, 19:00-20:30

Round nine, Nurburing - Thursday 6 August, 19:00-20:30

Round 10, Silverstone - Thursday 13 August, 19:00-20:30