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Jarno Opmeer joins Red Bull Racing after switch from Mercedes
- Nicole Mulder
Jarno Opmeer has signed a multi-year deal with Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing, Red Bull's sim racing team. The 24-year-old Dutchman, who is a multiple world champion in his discipline, comes over from Mercedes' sim racing team.
Opmeer switches from Mercedes to Red Bull Sim Racing
Opmeer joins reigning F1 Sim Racing world champion Frede Rasmussen, completing a line-up that includes two of the most successful drivers in F1 sim racing history. The Dutchman has the second most world titles in this branch of esports to his name.
" can’t wait to get started with Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing. My first race with the Team is tonight – we have been practicing hard. This weekend, I will be attending the Dutch GP as well, so it’s shaping up to be a great first week. I’m looking forward to what the future brings," Opmeer responded enthusiastically.
Joe Soltysik, head of Esports at Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing, is also excited about Opmeer's arrival. "Jarno joining our team is not only a reflection of the hard work behind the scenes from both ourselves and Team Redline, but also a statement of intent to create sustained success in Sim Racing from Oracle Red Bull Racing," he says.
"A lineup of Jarno Opmeer and Frede Rasmussen is the strongest possible combination of drivers in F1 Sim Racing and will hopefully bode well for our chances to reclaim the Team Championship title," Soltysik added.
Opmeer in Formula classes
Jarno Opmeer started karting at the age of four and became Dutch champion three times in a row from 2009. He later achieved success in Formula 4 with MP Motorsport, before continuing in Formula Renault and being accepted into the Renault Sport Academy.
Their paths parted at the end of 2017, but in 2019 Opmeer signed a contract with Renault's esports team. The following year, he drove on behalf of Alfa Romeo in the F1 Esports Series and won the title, before joining Mercedes. He also won the title with the German team and drove there for three seasons before making the switch to Red Bull.
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi
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