Revving Virtual Engines

Formula One announced last week that they will be launching a new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series.

On Formula One’s official website, Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports said,

“We are very pleased to be able to bring some light relief in the form of the F1 Esports Virtual GP, in these unpredictable times, as we hope to entertain fans missing the regular sporting action. With every major sports league in the world unable to compete, it is a great time to highlight the benefits of esports and the incredible skill that’s on show.”

The races will run in place of the every postponed Grand Prix and the inaugural Bahrain Virtual Grand Prix took place this last Sunday March 22, featuring a host of participants ranging from current F1 drivers to E-Sports athletes to commentators. The broadcast was available on Formula One’s Youtube channel, Facebook channel, Twitch, and the official Formula One website.

After a chaotic and entertaining race, the winner was Renault’s junior driver Guanyu Zhou. While the result did not contribute to any official points in the championship, given the current sports climate it is not hard to imagine that we are seeing a glimpse into the future. You could think of this as F1’s first serious experiment into adopting digital racing as a result of the coronavirus.