Following on from the Pro Draft stage of the series, 25 of the world’s fastest gamers were entered into the Draft Selection, which allows the eleven MotoGP teams to select one to represent them in the Global Series. The Draft Selection runs from 12th to 30th of April.
16 of these gamers are from the European classification of the Global Series, with six being made up of participants from the Rest of the World, and the winners of each regional final in last year’s Rising Stars Series.
So let’s look through a number of the fastest gamers from Europe. Remember only eleven will begin the Global Series with a current MotoGP™ team, while the other eleven will be selected as a team’s ‘Reserve Rider’.
As we’re about to see, there is a mixed selection of top level experience and new blood for the current MotoGP™ teams to choose from!
To start, Riky would be a great proposition for any of the eleven MotoGP™ teams. The new hopeful amassed a stunning 95 points from a possible 100 through the four Online Challenges, to lead the European standings of the Pro Draft.
The same could be said of PieroRicciuti55_, who placed second overall with 86 points. The Italian scored maximum points in both of the first two Challenges, including the series’ first historic challenge, that challenged gamers to lap a historic MotoGP™ venue – Laguna Seca – on a historic MotoGP™ machine – Dani Pedrosa’s 2007 Repsol Honda RC212V. He was one of the finalists in last year’s Rising Starts Series Regional Final and also a substitute rider for LCR Honda in the 2020 Global Series. He stepped in as a reserve rider for FooXz in the final round of last year’s championship.
After a disappointing Global Series campaign in 2020, AndrewZH showed strong potential, placing third in the European standings. The 20-year old Italian triumphed in the 2019 series by two points in a dramatic finale at Valencia but could only manage fifth last year. He has experience of competing at the highest level.
Adriaan_26 is another name that should be one of the first picks for any MotoGP™ team. After showing real potential in previous years, the Spaniard reached new heights in 2020, winning the MotoGP™ eSport Championship, amassing five victories and an incredible seven pole positions from eight outings along the way. The reigning champion will be a force once again.
Brother Cristianmm17 is another that should be a contender. The Spaniard has finished third in each of the last two Global Series and won a race and scored four further podiums, proving he is one of the fastest MotoGP™ eSport names around. He finished eleventh in the European standings of this year’s Pro Draft.
Another MotoGP™ eSport star who is in strong shape once again is the legendary Trastevere73. The winner of the first two eSport Championships in 2017 and 2018, the Italian came within a whisker of triumphing for a third time in both 2019 and 2020. Having represented Monster Energy Yamaha in the past two Global Series, the colourful Italian is a guaranteed championship contender – and perhaps, even a guaranteed winner.
There were strong performances in this season’s Pro Draft from JulitoCampeon, who finished fifth in the standings. The Spaniard could be an outside bet for glory in 2021. This is the second straight season he has made it into the Draft Selection.
As could Juan_nh16, a gamer that appeared in the previous two Global Series, scoring one podium in 2019 and two last year. For many, he was 2020’s surprise performer in the Global Series.
Rllorca26 was 13th in the Pro Draft and has Global Series experience from the past, when he finished ninth in 2018, eleventh in 2019. He’s a young gamer, as was evidenced as his appearance in the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series Regional Final last year.
New names Markel_gp10 (seventh in the Pro Draft), DarkBright94 (tenth), Joel_Clay, who was Aprilia’s substitute rider for last year’s Global Series, (twelfth), simoplova26 (14th), Vampish46CG199847 (15th) and bruci_99 (17th) replacing xKamilX 27 (16th) offer youth and raw speed to any MotoGP™ looking to sign one of eSport’s bright starlets.
Another name to consider: Vindex813. The Italian won the European and African Regional Final of the WINDTRE Rising Stars Series in 2020 and is one of the quickest young eSport names around. In 2020 he was Monster Energy Yamaha’s reserve rider, and took part in the first two editions of the MotoGP™ eSport championship, in 2017 and 2018.
