Hinwil, 28 March 2025 – The 2025 F1 Sim Racing World Championship wrapped up with the third and final event of the season, featuring four intense rounds in Mexico, Brazil, Qatar, and Abu Dhabi. KICK F1 Sim Racing Team drivers, Thomas Ronhaar, Brendon Leigh, and Tycho Hardy, gave their all on track, closing out the season after fierce battles both in the drivers’ and teams’ championships. The race in Abu Dhabi held special meaning for Brendon, as the two-time sim racing world champion bowed out of sim racing competition after a long and well-decorated career.
Round 9: Mexico
Thomas put in a brilliant qualifying performance to take pole position, setting the stage for a strong race. He held first place at the start but picked up damage mid-race after being hit by Ulas Özyıldırım, causing him to drop down the order and finish P17. Brendon made up places early on but struggled to make further progress, eventually crossing the line in eighteenth place.
Round 10: Brazil
A chaotic race in Brazil saw changing conditions shake up the team’s strategy. Thomas secured another pole position and led the early laps before the drying track prompted a switch to soft tires. It was a bold call, but when the rain returned, he lost ground before fighting back to claim third place after post-race penalties were applied. Tycho Hardy made his debut race for the team, gaining valuable experience in challenging conditions, although he ultimately finished P19.
Round 11: Qatar
Thomas lined up in second place on the grid, opting for a hard tire strategy that initially saw him dropping positions early on. The long first stint eventually paid off, allowing him to charge through the field later in the race. Despite three penalties, two of which were revoked after an appeal, Thomas eventually secured fourth place at the finish line. Tycho, in only his second race for the team, battled hard but was unfortunately disqualified after the race for sandbagging.
Round 12: Abu Dhabi
Confirming his strong form, Thomas took his third pole position of the event, showing incredible one-lap pace. However, the race proved challenging, with early battles seeing him lose ground. A damaged front wing and aggressive racing led to more struggles, which ultimately cut Thomas out of the championship fight, as he eventually finished P17. As he bid farewell to F1 Sim Racing, Brandon suffered similar struggles despite showing strong pace early on, crossing his last-ever finish line in eighteenth place. Despite the challenges, Thomas’s strong performances across the final event of the season placed him in fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship, while the team ended up fifth in the Teams’ standings.
Brendon Leigh
KICK F1 Sim Racing Team (Car #72)
“This was an emotional event for me, knowing it was leading to my last-ever race in F1 Sim Racing. The results weren’t what I wanted, but I gave it everything in my final races. Mexico and Abu Dhabi were particularly difficult, but I fought hard to move up the order where I could, even if things didn’t go our way. Despite the challenges, I’m proud of everything I’ve achieved over the years. Competing at this level has been an incredible journey, and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported me along the way. A massive thank you to KICK F1 Sim Racing Team, R8G and of course to Thomas and Tycho – it’s been great working with you all. I know you guys have bright futures ahead, and I’ll be cheering you on.”
Thomas Ronhaar
KICK F1 Sim Racing Team (Car #39)
“Although I’m obviously disappointed not to have clinched the title, this event had some great moments, especially in qualifying where I managed to secure three pole positions. Unfortunately, the races didn’t always go as planned. Mexico was particularly frustrating after the contact that cost me a strong result, while Brazil was a real challenge with changing conditions, but I was happy to fight back to the podium. Qatar was another strategic battle where we made good progress, and Abu Dhabi was tough with damage and penalties eventually affecting the final outcome. Still, we showed our potential, and I know we can build on this for the future to improve even more. I also would like to say a huge thank you to Brendon – he’s been an incredible teammate and a true professional. I’ve learned so much from him these past seasons, and his impact on sim racing speaks for itself. It’s been an honour to race alongside him, and I wish him all the best in the next chapter.”
Tycho Hardy
KICK F1 Sim Racing Team (Car #74)
“Making my debut in Brazil and Qatar was a big step, and I’ve learned a lot from both races even though the results didn’t match my expectations. Brazil was especially tricky with the changing conditions, and we took a big gamble on strategy. Qatar was a tough race as well, but I did my best to fight through and support the team. I’m really grateful for the opportunity and the experience I’ve gained in such a competitive field, and I’m already looking forward for more. Lastly, a shout out to Brendon: he has been a great mentor in the short time we worked together. His experience and dedication to the sport are inspiring, and I hope to carry forward what I’ve learned from him.”
About Sauber Group of Companies
The Sauber Group of Companies is composed of two operational entities: Sauber Motorsport AG, which operates and manages its Formula OneTM team; and Sauber Technologies AG, which focuses on third-party business in the areas of advanced engineering, prototype development and additive manufacturing, in addition to full and model-scale testing in the factory’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel and ground-breaking innovation in the field of aerodynamics. The companies collaborate closely and share know-how to apply the expertise of more than 550 dedicated individuals at the headquarter in Hinwil, Switzerland, to all internal and external projects.
The Sauber Group puts sustainability at the heart of its mission; its business, operating under the ISO 14001 environmental management standard, has been carbon neutral since 2011 and the company has achieved the Three-Star level in the FIA Environmental Accreditation Framework.
Since its founding in 1970, the innovative Swiss company has been setting standards in the design, development and construction of race cars for various championship series, such as Formula One, DTM, and WEC. Following its own Formula One debut in 1993, Sauber Motorsport AG has established one of the few traditional and privately held teams in the sport. A member of the exclusive club of teams which competed in more than 500 F1 races, it celebrated 30 years in the sport in 2022 and continues to go from strength to strength on and off the track.
