Win a Rallycross test drive in the inaugural DiRT World Championships

February 12th, 2018 by codemasters

Codemasters, in partnership with Motorsport Network, today announced that the inaugural DiRT World Championships will begin next week, giving you the opportunity to win a test drive in a stunning RX2 rallycross car* in front of a huge crowd at Silverstone. The DiRT World Championships will climax with a showpiece final at Speedmachine, the British round of the FIA World Rallycross Championship, in May, and will be streamed live on Motorsport.tv.

Dirt World Championship Logo

Using the Community Events system in DiRT 4, players will compete online in a mixture of rally and rallycross races to earn a place in the live streamed quarter-finals and semi-final to gain a place at Speedmachine. Details of the rounds, rules and how to take part can be found here:

Driver’s Handbook // DiRT World Championships rules

Operated in conjunction with Gfinity, a global leader in esports events and competitions, there are six weekly qualifying rounds in total with the first beginning on Monday, 12th February. Round One challenges you to set the best time in a two-stage rally in Australia using a Group A car. The top two times on each platform (PlayStation 4, Xbox and PC) will qualify for the quarter finals. Motorsport Network is committed to utilizing its global reach of motorsport fans to live-stream and promote the event, amplified by 200+ of the world’s most influential journalists with coverage across 21 editions in 17 languages.

“We are delighted to announce the DiRT World Championships,” said Codemasters’ eSports Manager, Andy Gray. “DiRT has a vibrant, dedicated and highly engaged community so we believe that this is the perfect time to introduce an eSport element. Having the final at Speedmachine, in front of a live audience of motorsport fans, adds an incredible incentive. The fact that the winner will then be handed a chance to drive an RX2 car in front of a huge crowd on race day takes it to the next level.”

Speaking about the partnerships involved in the DiRT World Championships, Andy continued: “We have enjoyed great success working with Gfinity on the F1 Esports Series so we look forward to continuing that relationship. We continue to work closely with our long-term partner, FIA World Rallycross Championship, and have also initiated an exciting new media partnership with Motorsport Network who will leverage its incredible reach to bring the tournament to a wider audience across Motorsport.com, Autosport.com, and Motorsport.tv.”

Motorsport Network, headquartered in Miami, Florida, is a multinational digital media company and the largest global motorsports media platform in the world, serving as the parent company of several digital companies including Motorsport.com, Autosport.com, Motorsport.tv and more. The network’s various sites provide more than 214 million page views each month to readers around the world – many of those readers not only follow the sport, but also regularly compete themselves and are active in the esport community.

“We at Motorsport Network are thrilled to come on-board as a partner of the DiRT World Championships” says Colin Smith, CEO Motorsport Network, “Partnering with Codemasters, leaders in the gaming industry, is a valuable opportunity that will no doubt spark enthusiasm and engagement from our audience.”

The DiRT World Championships qualifying rounds run from 12th February until 26th March before the quarter-finals are streamed on 8th April and the semi-finals on 22nd April. The showpiece final will take place live at Speedmachine and streamed online on Saturday 26th May. Players will require a RaceNet account (racenet.codemasters.com) to take part.

Keep up with all the news and follow updates from the studio on Facebook and Twitter

* Test drive will be subject to terms and conditions. See rules for details.

CODEMASTERS® ENTERS JUNIOR WRC CHAMPIONSHIP WITH LAUNCH OF DiRT RALLY TEAM

March 29th, 2021 by PJ Tierney

Jon Armstrong and Phil Hall Lead Charge for Junior WRC Crown

 

Codemasters® today brings DiRT to life with the launch of the ‘Codemasters DiRT Rally Team’. Comprising of Jon Armstrong and co-driver Phil Hall, the duo will make their debut appearance this April in the 2021 Junior WRC Championship (Junior WRC). The season starts in Croatia before heading to Portugal, Estonia, Belgium, and Spain. Additional support comes from Thrustmaster and the Royal Air Force for the 2021 season. (more…)

CODEMASTERS® AND BIRMINGHAM ST MARY’S HOSPICE TEAM UP

March 23rd, 2021 by James Bralant

Ahead of the Formula 1® season opener at the Bahrain International Circuit this weekend, Codemasters® is encouraging players to ‘plug in and play’ to raise money for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice. Using the hashtag #F1RaiseYourGame, the virtual racing community is invited to play, donate and challenge others to set their best times at the Bahrain International Circuit on F1® 2020.

The hospice, which provides support free of charge to people and their families living with life-limiting illness across Birmingham and Sandwell has been unable to run physical events over the last 12 months due to lockdown restrictions. Relying on virtual events and fundraisers like Raise Your Game to raise essential funds has been crucial in maintaining this support.

“Whether you want to beat your personal best or have the bragging rights amongst your friends, we’re looking forward to seeing and sharing our community’s fundraising efforts,” said Ian Flatt, VP Executive Producer at Codemasters. “Being based in Birmingham, the hospice is a charity close to our hearts, so we’re delighted to help them raise awareness and much-needed funds.”

“We are really excited for Codemasters #F1RaiseYourGame event this March,” said Maria Goodwin, Community Fundraiser at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice. “In what has been a challenging year, the funds raised from this event will ensure that we can continue to provide care to those who need the Hospice most. We wish everyone good luck for taking part and are thrilled to continue to grow Raise Your Game and our relationship with Codemasters.”

Posts with the #F1RaiseYourGame hashtag will be shared on social media throughout the week. Members of Codemasters’ content creator program, Racing Ahead, will also be taking part. Prizes such as F1® 2020 merchandise will be awarded for some of the best and most entertaining efforts. In addition, Codemasters will be making a monetary donation to the hospice directly.

Donations can be made on the Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice website birminghamhospice.org.uk/campaigns/raise-your-game or on the official Codemasters Just Giving page: justgiving.com/fundraising/codemasters

CODEMASTERS® EXTENDS SUPPORT OF GOVERNMENT MESSAGING IN DIRT 5™, DiRT RALLY 2.0™ AND GRID®

March 5th, 2021 by James Bralant

Codemasters® has, once again, partnered with the UK government and Public Health England to drive public awareness messages in DIRT 5™, DiRT Rally 2.0™ and GRID®.

‘Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives’ reiterates the continued importance of following guidelines wherever possible. The Better Health ‘Every Mind Matters’ campaign offers support for mental wellbeing through the Mind Plan. By answering five quick questions participants get a personalised action plan with practical tips to help deal with stress and anxiety, boost mood, sleep better and feel more in control.

Collaborating with Bidstack, geo-targeted banners are delivered in-game to UK players through its digital advertising platform. The ads replace text and images on trackside materials such as flags and billboards with mental wellbeing prompts developed by Public Health England, and the Stay Home message from UK government.

“We’re delighted to continue being able to support government messaging, whilst we look forward to lockdown easing,” said John Merchant, Marketing Director at Codemasters. “It’s great being able to use our games to direct players to mental wellbeing advice. Even if we can help just one person then this has been a worthwhile addition.”

“We’re really proud to be working with the UK Government, Public Health England and our partners Codemasters again to reach audiences that might not have engaged with these important messages across other media channels,” said James Draper, Bidstack’s CEO. “Delivering health messages, and particularly those around mental wellbeing in what is a trying time for many people, is something we are delighted our tech can offer. For those in need of support it has the potential to make a huge difference.”

For more information, please visit gov.uk/coronavirus, everymindmatters.co.uk, or search ‘Mind Plan.’

Hospice Gaming Challenge Receives Support from Local Award-Winning British Video Game Publisher

February 15th, 2021 by Jenny Marshall

Codemasters and Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice are asking supporters to ‘game for good’ and turn their hobby into a fundraiser to support the Raise Your Game campaign this March.

Board-gamers and console players alike are being encouraged to ‘plug in and play’ to pledge their support to Hospice care by hosting virtual gameathons. Players are being encouraged to hold household board game tournaments or livestream their favourite games with their Twitch followers in exchange for donations.

The Hospice, which provides support free of charge to people and their families living with a life-limiting illness every day across Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull, has been forced to cancel events and close its retail shops over the last 12 months in line with Covid-19 restrictions.

During this time, Birmingham St Mary’s has relied more than ever on the support of the local community, with supporters taking part in virtual events and challenges such as Raise Your Game to raise essential funds, and this year, we’re sponsoring the campaign.

Ian Flatt, VP. Executive Producer here at Codemasters said of our support: “Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice was the obvious charity to support for everyone at the Birmingham studio, both for the great work they do in the local community, and how they have positively touched the lives of so many.

“We hope to increase awareness of Raise Your Game and encourage our players to get involved and raise funds to enable the Hospice to help more people and continue to enrich our local community.”

We’re also planning our own exciting Raise Your Game event with our Birmingham studio, in order to raise further funds for the Hospice.

Maria Goodwin, Community Fundraiser at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice added “We are thrilled to have Codemasters sponsor our Raise Your Game campaign and excited to build a fantastic and long-lasting relationship with their Birmingham studio.

“In what has been a challenging year, they have already provided a wealth of knowledge to continue to grow this campaign and help make it the best year yet!

To sign up to the campaign or for more information about how you can get involved, please visit: www.birminghamhospice.org.uk/campaigns/raise-your-game/

George Russell and Alex Albon lead the line-up for final Virtual Grand Prix event

February 11th, 2021 by Jenny Marshall

Williams Racing’s George Russell will go in search of his sixth consecutive F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix victory this Sunday at Interlagos in the Virtual São Paulo Grand Prix. The three-race competition comes to an end this weekend, but it is still all to play for as the teams compete one last time to win a share of a $100,000 prize pot for their charities.

Alex Albon, Red Bull Racing Test and Reserve Driver and Wings for Life ambassador, finished second in last weekend’s Virtual British Grand Prix, putting Red Bull in third place in the standings, and will be joined in this Sunday’s race by Red Bull Driftbrother Johannes Hountondji. Haas currently lead the championship standings following another high-scoring race for Pietro and Enzo Fittipaldi, who return this weekend to try and secure top spot. Ferrari sit in second position in the standings and are also calling upon young talent this weekend with Ferrari Driver Academy duo Arthur Leclerc and Dino Beganovic competing for them.

Nicolas Prost will be hoping to emulate his father Alain’s real-world F1 heroics when he lines up for Alpine alongside French comedian Arnaud Tsamere, whilst Mercedes will be relying on motorcycle rider Jake Dixon and cycling world champion Rohan Dennis, who both swap two wheels for four this weekend. Alfa Romeo continue with the same pairing of Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and content creator Jack McDermott, aka The Pie Face, for the third consecutive race, as do AlphaTauri, who will be represented by former F1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi and professional motorcycle rider Luca Salvadori. The full line-up will be announced across the official F1 social media channels ahead of the event.

Teams are taking part in the Virtual Grands Prix to donate money to charities they have chosen to race for, and each nominated charity will receive a significant donation from the overall prize fund, regardless of whether the team finishes first or last in the standings following this week’s final race.

This year’s Virtual Grand Prix events will begin with a sprint-race, featuring the teams’ F1 Esports Pro Series drivers, to decide the starting grid, before the teams’ pairings, made up of motorsport stars, sporting heroes and celebrities, take to the track and compete.

The Virtual São Paulo Grand Prix will be broadcast from 18:00 GMT on Sunday 14 February on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Huya (China) and Weibo (China) channels, as well as broadcast by international television partners including Sky Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports and Ziggo.

Virtual British Grand Prix line-up announced as Williams duo Russell and Latifi return

February 4th, 2021 by Jenny Marshall

Williams Racing’s George Russell and Nicholas Latifi are the headline names taking part in this weekend’s Virtual British Grand Prix, the second of three special F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix events, as the teams compete to win a share of a $100,000 charity prize pot to donate to their nominated causes.

Alex Albon, Red Bull Racing Test and Reserve Driver and Wings for Life ambassador, secured a P4 finish in last weekend’s event, and will line up alongside Red Bull Junior team member Liam Lawson this Sunday. Enzo Fittipaldi took a dramatic win in the Virtual Austrian Grand Prix and will be hoping for more of the same when he returns for Haas, with his brother Pietro. Ferrari Driver Academy members Callum Ilott and Robert Shwartzman will represent Ferrari in Sunday’s race, whilst Vitantonio Liuzzi, a former star of the sport, will race for AlphaTauri, alongside professional motorcycle rider Luca Salvadori. Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and content creator Jack McDermott, aka The Pie Face, return for Alfa Romeo, hoping to get into the points this weekend, and France’s biggest YouTuber, Squeezie makes his Virtual Grand Prix debut for Alpine. The full line-up will be announced across the official F1 social media channels ahead of the event.

Teams are taking part in the Virtual Grands Prix to donate money to charities they have chosen to race for, and each nominated charity will receive a significant donation from the overall prize fund, regardless of whether the team finishes first or last in the standings after the three events.

This year’s Virtual Grand Prix events will begin with a sprint-race, featuring the teams’ talented F1 Esports Pro Series drivers, to decide the starting grid, before the teams’ pairings, made up of motorsport stars, sporting heroes and celebrities, will take to the track and compete. The final event will take place on Sunday 14 February, where drivers will compete on the iconic Interlagos circuit before attention turns to the start of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in Bahrain next month.

The Virtual British Grand Prix will be broadcast from 18:00 GMT on Sunday 7 February on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Huya (China) and Weibo (China) channels, as well as broadcast by international television partners including Sky Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports and Ziggo.

Williams duo Russell and Latifi are first Formula 1 drivers confirmed as Virtual Grands Prix return for charity

January 27th, 2021 by Jenny Marshall

Are you ready for the Virtual Grands Prix to make their return? Williams Racing’s George Russell and Nicholas Latifi are the first Formula 1 drivers to confirm their spots as F1 Esports’ hugely-popular Virtual Grands Prix return this weekend! The Virtual Austrian Grand Prix takes place on Sunday 31 January, kicking off a trio of special live events as team’s battle it out for a share of a charity prize pot that they will donate to a cause of their choosing.

Those who tuned in to the Virtual Grands Prix last year will know that Russell is no stranger to the Virtual Grands Prix after winning the series in 2020, following a number of impressive performances, as the online racing action took the place of real-life competition when the pandemic first struck. Russell and Latifi will be representing the current crop of F1 drivers in the first event, alongside some former stars of the sport and future prospects, but the Williams Racing duo will be joined by fellow drivers from the 2021 grid in upcoming events.

Alex Albon was a firm favourite in last year’s Virtual Grands Prix and returns for Red Bull alongside Jeffrey Herling, Red Bull KTM Factory rider and MXGP World Champion. Pietro Fittipaldi made his Haas F1 debut last season in Bahrain and will represent the American team in this week’s race, alongside his brother Enzo, whilst former F1 drivers Stoffel Vandoorne and Tonio Luizzi will represent Mercedes and AlphaTauri respectively. Renault academy drivers Christian Lundgaard and reigning FIA F3 champion Oscar Piastri will drive for Alpine, whilst Virtual Grand Prix regular and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois returns this year for Alfa Romeo.

While the return of Virtual Grands Prix will give fans around the world excitement ahead of the Formula 1 season starting in Bahrain, the primary focus of this year’s three-race competition is to donate money to charities chosen by the teams. Each nominated charity will receive a significant donation from the overall prize fund, regardless of whether the team finishes first or last in the standings after the three events.

This year’s Virtual Grand Prix events will begin with a sprint-race, featuring the team’s talented F1 Esports Pro Series drivers, to decide the starting grid, before the teams’ pairings, made up of motorsport stars, sporting heroes and celebrities, will take to the track and get ready to race. Silverstone and Interlagos will also play host to upcoming virtual races on Sunday 7 February and Sunday 14 February respectively.

The Virtual Austrian Grand Prix will be broadcast from 18:00 GMT on Sunday 31 January on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Huya (China) and Weibo (China) channels, as well as broadcast by international television partners including Sky Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports and Ziggo.

F1 Esports Series 2020 breaks viewing records and Virtual Grands Prix return to kick-start 2021

January 14th, 2021 by Jenny Marshall

The F1 Esports Series 2020 rounded off a huge year for Formula 1 and its virtual racing offering, as a record number of fans tuned into the action, achieving a total of 11.4m live stream views across all digital platforms, representing a 98% increase on 2019.

Alfa Romeo’s Jarno Opmeer secured his first F1 Esports title in December’s Grand Final event, as both the drivers’ championship and teams’ championship, won by Red Bull for the second successive year, came down to the final race of the campaign. The Grand Final alone achieved 2.7m digital views, setting a new record for a Pro Series event, previously attained in Event 1 of the 2020 season.

The nail-biting Grand Final also reached a staggering 1.7m social media engagements, an all-time record for any F1 Esports Series event, culminating what had already been a hugely successful campaign regarding social media interaction, as the Pro Series achieved 291m total social media impressions, a 151% increase on the 2019 season. Additionally, the series recorded 23.8m video views, up 29% on 2019, which was aided by increased social media output for last year’s campaign. Following the popularity of the previous Pro Series’ and last year’s Virtual Grands Prix, more people than ever before attempted to qualify for the 2020 season, as participation increased 117% to 237k.
 
Looking forward to 2021, F1 Esports aims to build upon the success of 2020, and is kickstarting the new year with the return of the Virtual Grands Prix, this time for a three-race competition with a charity prize fund up for grabs for the teams.
 
Over 30m people tuned into the Virtual Grand Prix series last year to see F1 stars, sporting icons and music chart toppers represent the ten F1 teams in eight live events that replaced the official calendar, as F1 Esports continued to bring fans competitive action when the real-life racing stopped due to the pandemic.
 
The Virtual Grands Prix will return on Sunday 31 January for three events on consecutive weekends, where the ten teams will battle it out for a charity prize fund, represented by a combination of F1 drivers past and present, celebrities and F1 Esports Series gamers. The format has been altered since last year’s events, as the pro gamers will now take part in a five-lap Sprint Race to determine the grid order for the Feature Race, where the teams’ duos, made up of the participating famous faces, will then compete at 50% race distance to secure points for the overall standings. The team championship standings will be tracked across the events and will determine how the prize fund is then distributed to their nominated charities.
 
Whilst the return of the Virtual Grand Prix Series will be F1 Esports’ flagship event for the start of 2021, it is just one of many virtual competitions taking part. The F1 Esports Series China Championship will crown its second winner in next week’s Grand Final in Shanghai after an entertaining campaign, while the inaugural F1 Mobile Racing Esports champion was recognised earlier this month, as Matteo Pagliani came out on top from over 60,000 elite qualifiers. The Challenger Series also continues for a further eight rounds across PS4, Xbox and PC platforms until April, before the F1 Esports Series Pro Championship returns in the autumn.