Season two F1 Esports final dates revealed, 25 drivers on entry list
The calendar and entry list for the second official Formula 1 Esports season have been revealed, with 25 drivers set to take part in the campaign that starts next month
Three live-streamed finals will take place at the Gfinity Esports Arena in London, to decide who will take the drivers' and inaugural teams' championships.
The finals will be streamed on Facebook as well as broadcasted globally on select TV networks.
All real-life F1 teams are participating except Ferrari, and their line-ups consist of a mixture of drivers from July's Pro Draft as well as additional sim racers such as defending champion Brendon Leigh.
The first 'Pro Series' event will ta occur on October 10 with the second taking place three weeks later on October 31.
The two-day grand finale will start on November 16 - when no real-life F1 action is taking place, unlike 2017's finale which ran alongside the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
"The launch of the Pro Series is a pivotal moment for the F1 Esports Series," said F1's head of Esports Julian Tan.
"In a short space of time the drivers have come together from all around the world to join their official F1 teams; and will now take their passion for motorsport and gaming from home all the way to the podium.
"With the F1 teams involved, we have been able to combine the power of Esports with the magic of F1, establishing an adrenaline-fuelled series that has been streamed across the globe.
"Now it's time for the teams to deliver their best performances, and we can't wait to crown this year's teams' and drivers' champions."
The full 25-driver entry list has been confirmed, with seven teams opting to sign three drivers.
Additions to the line-ups can still be made. Each team will run two drivers every race but can switch which drivers it uses between races in order to suit the circuit and championship circumstances.
The teams are competing for a $200,000 prize fund.
F1 Esports 2018 line-up
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports
Daniel Bereznay, Brendon Leigh, Harry Jacks
Red Bull Racing Esports
Joni Tormala, Graham Carroll
Renault Sport Team Vitality
Kimmy Larsson, James Doherty, Sven Zurner
Haas F1
Martin Stefanko, Michal Smidl
Hype Energy eForce India
Fabrizio Donoso Delgado, Mads Sorensen, Marcel Kiefer
McLaren Shadow
Olli Pahkala, Bono Huis, Enzo Bonito
Toro Rosso
Cem Bolukbasi, Patrick Holzmann, Frederik Rasmussen
Sauber F1
Allert van der Wal, Sonuc Saltunc, Salih Saltunc
Williams Esports
Tino Naukkarinen, Alvaro Carreton, Alex Hanses
Previous article
Mobile gamers impress in real-life tests including F1 running
Next article
Two more drivers become WTCR Esports winners in Slovakia races
About this article
| Series | Esports |
| Author | Josh Suttill |
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
