Formula 1 Enters Esports Arena With Launch Of Annual Competition
In September, Formula 1 will dive head-first into esports with the arrival of the Formula 1 Esports Series. Set to be an annual competition, it will crown a Formula 1 Esports Champion Expert.
The Formula 1 Esports Series is a partnership between Formula 1, esports company Gfinity and racing games developer Codemasters, which is releasing the 2017 F1 game on Friday.
In order to be the last man/woman standing, gamers will have to survive three stages. The first will take place in September and will narrow down the field to 40 racers. Next will be the semifinals which will take place live at London’s Gfinity Arena on Oct. 10-11. The remaining 20 will advance to the finals which coincide with the 2017 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Nov. 24-25.
A winner will be decided during the weekend of the final 2017 Formula 1 Grand Prix, and he or she will automatically qualify into the semifinals of next year’s series. The winner will also become a character in the F1 2018 game.
“This launch presents an amazing opportunity for our business: strategically and in the way we engage fans,” Formula 1’s Managing Director of Commercial Operations, Sean Bratches, said in a statement. “First, it’s a growing category with tremendous fan engagement that we’re entering in a big way; and we are proud to have Codemasters and Gfinity joining us on this ride. Of course as we do in Formula 1, we’ll continue to evolve and innovate in the way we run this virtual counterpart to the F1 Championship to ensure we provide the most exciting and enjoyable experience we can for our fans.”
The 2017 circuit will align with the release of the 2017 F1 game. It will be widely available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC.
The launch goes along with the sport’s goal of reaching a wider audience, especially younger fans. Just a few weeks ago, Formula 1 headed in that direction when it partnered with Snapchat.
