Formula 1 launches eSports racing series

Have you ever dreamt of becoming a Formula 1 (F1) driver? Well, this could be the closest you’ll get to living your dream as F1 announced its 1st ever eSports competition happening this September 2017.

The virtual race series is in partnership with game developer Codemasters as well as eSports events and competition organizer Gfinity. It will use the official F1 game, which will be launched worldwide on August 25, 2017. The said F1 game will be available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC.   

Up for grabs is the title of 2017 F1 eSports World Champion and be named as "F1 eSports Champion Expert." Aside from bragging rights, the winner will automatically qualify for the competition’s semi-finals the following year. In addition, he/she will get to attend one of the race weekends next season and – here’s the best part – become a character in the 2018 F1 game.

The annual competition will feature 3 different stages. Qualifying events will happen all throughout September. The top 40 quickest drivers will then advance to the semi-finals hosted at the Gfinity Arena in London on October 10 and 11, 2017.

Only 20 will progress to the finals, which will be held at Yas Marina as part of the 2017 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 24 and 25. It’s there where the world’s fastest virtual drivers will battle it out in a 3-race event. The winner will be crowned the 1st ever F1 eSports World Champion.

Interested competitors may pre-order the game now and register on Gfinity.