Gfinity has announced that it has become the esports partner for Formula 1, and as a result will be delivering the Formula 1 Esports Series, giving fans a chance to become a world champion on the esports stage.
The competition starts on September, and marks the first year of annual competitions as part of F1's long-term esports and gaming investment. This strategy is also to try and help F1 connect with a wider audience and younger fans.
Qualification events kick things off, trying to find the faster 40 drivers who will then progress to live semi finals, broadcast from the Gfinity Arena in London on October 10 and 11. Then the top 20 drivers from there will attend the grand finals at the Yas Marina as part of the Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 24 and 25, with the winner crowned at the same weekend as the final F1 Grand Prix.
The winning rider will also be the F1 Esports Champion Expert for next year and will qualify for the semi-finals of next year's series automatically, as well as becoming a character in F1 2018.
Sean Bratches, Managing Director of Commercial Operations at Formula 1, said: "This launch presents an amazing opportunity for our business: strategically and in the way we engage fans. 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."
For more information on the competition be sure to check out the official website. Is this a big step in the world of racing esports?