F1 driver Fernando Alonso launches eSports racing team
Fernando Alonso has become the first Formula 1 driver to branch out in to eSports, after launching his own team ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
The two-time world champion has formed a partnership with McLaren sponsor Logitech and Spanish professional outfit G2 to expand into the gaming world.
The team, which will be called FA Racing G2 Logitech, will compete in a host of top-line series both in F1 and other online categories.
"I am a team principal finally," smiled Alonso at the launch of the team in the Yas Marina paddock on Thursday.
"There will be no meetings very early. We will change completely the way we work!!"
Alonso said he had been approached by Logitech and G2 a few months ago about the idea, and believed it was the right time to get involved with gaming as eSports racing was starting to take off.
"It is very exciting, and it is a completely new thing to discover," he explained.
"I think eSports in other formats has been very successful but in racing, it is at the very beginning, and huge potential will come.
"I am happy to be one of the first investing in this direction and I think good and fun times are coming - not only for us, but for gamers at home and for fans."
While the focus on FA Racing will be on professional championships, competing in F1, rFactor and other leagues, Alonso said that part of his team's plan was to find ways that fans could race with them too.
When asked if he had signed himself to his own team, Alonso said: "Not yet. But we have some ideas for our fans to have online competitions, monthly, that they can not only participate with our pro drivers but also with myself.
"I will definitely be slower - more the amateur level. We will have fun, that is the first thing, and we will develop a platform that is available for everyone in the world."
F1 commercial chief Sean Bratches believed Alonso's decision to run an eSports team would be a big boost to F1's profile amid younger fans.
"Fernando's brand has been a pillar of the success of F1 in the linear world, and just like other brands going into other areas, he gives a credibility," he said.
"A lot of drivers and athletes, in their second career, go into business and I think while this is a fun participatory game, it is competition.
"It is a big business and it is just getting bigger.
"F1 and Fernando are getting in at the early stages, notwithstanding that it has been around a couple of years."
Previous article
McLaren signs winner of World's Fastest Gamer as F1 sim driver
Next article
British teenager Brendon Leigh wins Formula 1's first eSports title
Analysis: How an unlikely tie-up won sim racing's biggest race
An unlikely partnership between LMP1 privateer Rebellion Racing and Williams Formula 1's successful sim racing team yielded victory in the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. Here's how it triumphed in the biggest sim race ever staged
How poor driving standards ruined IndyCar's golden opportunity
The chaotic end to the virtual Indy 175 might be dismissed as "just a game," but the insulting actions of two IndyCar stars may have serious real-life consequences
Why Leclerc's Virtual GP annihilation deserves great credit
The introduction of Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, George Russell and Antonio Giovinazzi to Formula 1's Virtual GP last weekend meant it was a step above the franchise's debut two weeks ago. But a dominant performance from Esports newcomer Leclerc stole the show
How the hidden side of being fast has been exposed
'Natural talent' is one of the biggest misnomers going in motorsport, and that is being proven by the way real life racers aren't immediately getting on the pace with the sim racing experts in virtual contests. To change that, they are having to apply the same tools required to be quick in real life
Why F1’s pantomime Virtual GP is fun but unsustainable
F1 Esports' inaugural Virtual Grand Prix last weekend provided brilliant entertainment to those tuning in to watch a mix of F1 drivers and celebrities battle on track, but was a missed opportunity for marketing its own Esports stars. A change of approach is needed if it is to successfully fill the void until the resumption of proper racing
The latest Red Bull exile to return in Esports
Since he was ejected from the programme at the end of 2006, the latest Red Bull junior driver brought back into the fold to race in Formula 1 - in a virtual sense for the inaugural Virtual GP - has had quite the career journey. From ADAC GT Masters and Porsche Supercup to Le Mans and the DTM, here's how a works pro got to relive a long-forgotten dream
Mercedes can be toppled in F1's other title race
Mercedes has not only set new standards in Formula 1, but it's also created a benchmark in Esports. Now its rivals have scrambled to catch up, there's a chance the Brendon Leigh-fronted Mercedes can be stopped
Why World's Fastest Gamer is returning to real-world racing
World's Fastest Gamer is a spiritual successor to the famous GT Academy. After a successful first year, it's returning to the Nissan programme's roots by targeting the real world of racing
