Ferrari expands official Esports Series for 2021
Ferrari has expanded its official Esports Series for 2021 on the back of a successful debut last year, and will be hosting an additional livery competition for fans.
As part of the Italian car manufacturer's sim-racing push, it attracted more than 20,000 competitors for the inaugural Ferrari Esports Series in 2020, with Italian Giovanni Da Salvo triumphing and earning a place on its official Academy Esports Team.
The competition, which is hosted on the Assetto Corsa platform, will begin again with qualification rounds starting from next month, and will feature two exclusive cars - the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo and the brand new Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo.
The qualification rounds will run until July, with the 48 fastest drivers going forward to racing competitions that will run from August until November. The top 24 drivers will then take place in a Grand Final in mid-December for the chance to win a place on Ferrari's official Esports team for 2022.
Ferrari hopes the new format, which now features a single car category, will attract even more participants.
Jane Reeve, Ferrari's chief communications officer, said that the success of last year's tournament meant it was a no-brainer to increase its efforts for this season.
"Everything went really well last year but of course, now we've got the bug," she said. "We want to be more ambitious this year.
"So the offer to the virtual drivers has been expanded, and we'll be eliminating previous categories in favour of a single and more accessible championship. We've done this to make it more inclusive, offering more participation slots for those who want to try to fulfil their dream of being part of Ferrari. So more people we hope will participate."
As well as offering prize draw elements for all competitors this year, Ferrari is also including a car livery design contest for the first time.
Ferrari wants fans to submit liveries for cars used in the series, with the most popular ones being incorporated into the game and used in the official Series Races.
The Esports competition is open to all European residents aged over 18, and further details of the series can be found at www.ferrariesportsseries.gg.
Previous article
Motorsport Games to acquire Studio 397 and rFactor2
Next article
Why Ferrari has caught the sim racing bug
About this article
| Series | Esports |
| Author | Jonathan Noble |
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
