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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
After the 2020 FIA Formula 2 Championship™ went down to the thrilling final race weekend in Bahrain, Codemasters today allows players to re-write history with a free F2™ 2020 season update as part of F1® 2020, the official videogame of the 2020 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™. Players can now compete with the full 2020 line-up featuring all 11 teams, cars, and drivers including the new FIA Formula 2™ Champion, Mick Schumacher.
The F2™ game option replicates its real-world counterpart with 12 weekends each made up of two races. The first, known as the Feature Race, follows a standard format with drivers lining up based on their qualifying times, and points awarded to the top 10 placings. The second, Sprint Race, sees the Feature Race top eight positions reversed in a shorter race, with fewer points awarded to the top eight drivers. For both, there are two additional points available for the fastest lap.
“Having witnessed an incredible end of season battle between Mick Schumacher and Callum Ilott, we’re delighted to give players the free F2™ 2020 Season update,” said Lee Mather, F1® Franchise Game Director at Codemasters. “F2™ has proved very popular with our players since its debut in F1® 2019, and we know they will enjoy re-writing recent history with the free 2020 update.”
F1® 2020 is the most comprehensive F1® game to date. With two new circuits, the introduction of driver-manager feature, My Team, improved on-track options, split-screen and more, F1® 2020 caters for race fans of all levels and experience. A free trial version of the game was recently released for PlayStation®4 and Xbox One, and can be downloaded here.
Exclusive #WeRaceAsOne Car Liveries Available For All Players
Starting today, players can race and unlock 30 new levels of free and VIP content with the launch of F1® 2020 Podium Pass Series Two. Items include exclusive podium celebrations and poses, alongside new car liveries, race suits, helmets, gloves, and badges. Players who purchase Podium Pass VIP can earn back 10,000 credits in virtual currency which can be used to purchase Series Three or items from the in-game Store. The Podium Pass Series Two trailer can be viewed below:
Players can unlock the additional items through competing in their favourite game modes. At the end of every race, the XP earned helps unlock the next level of content. The cosmetic content, which include items in support of Formula 1®’s We Race As One initiative, allow players to add even greater levels of personalisation to both their driver and car. Players with VIP also gain access to additional in-game challenges which gives them another route to unlock tiers of content.
“Podium Pass Series One was very well received by our players, and we’re excited to add new cosmetic items for Series Two,” said Lee Mather, F1® Franchise Game Director at Codemasters. “Players love to earn content off the back of their achievements. Whether they use the free level only or upgrade to VIP, there are a lot of cool items to unlock which offer more ways for players to personalise their race-day look.”
Earlier this week F1® 2020 received its first Sports Update. Six of the 10 teams’ cars have been modified to include the latest sponsors. These range from #WeRaceAsOne messaging and logo, to bespoke updates including Alfa Romeo’s ‘50 Years Sauber’ branding. Also included as part of the update are regular fixes and optimisations.
For more information on Formula 1®’s We Race as One initiative, visit: https://f1.com/2ZaiKCr
F1® 2020 is out now on PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, Windows PC (DVD and via Steam), and Google Stadia.
For news and details on all updates keep it here on the Formula 1 game website and social channels on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
Formula 1® has announced the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco will return for a fourth season, with one of the biggest cash prize funds in sports simulation esports on offer at $750,000. The action gets underway with the “Pro Draft Reveal Show” on 27 August 2020, where the official F1 teams will reveal their selected roster of talented drivers. A record breaking number of participants of over 237,000 attempted to qualify for this year’s competition as F1 Esports continues to enjoy its most exciting year yet.
As with other major sporting events, the F1 Esports Pro Series, which will take place this autumn, has adapted to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and will therefore be operating remotely in 2020, with competitors racing from their own homes and team factories to ensure the safety of all the teams and drivers involved.
The F1 Esports Series has been more anticipated than ever before following the success of the Virtual Grand Prix series, which featured a host of sports and music stars and achieved over 30m views globally across eight events between March and June this year. The 2019 F1 Esports Series saw Ferrari’s David Tonizza crowned drivers’ champion alongside Red Bull, who took home the constructor’s championship, with over 8.7m viewers across digital platforms and TV, and 169m social media impressions, making it the most successful season to date.
MAKING THE CUT AT THE “PRO DRAFT REVEAL SHOW”
This season’s “Pro Draft Reveal Show” will air on 27 August, where teams will announce their line-ups for the 2020 season for the first time, with each team required to add at least one qualifying draft member to their three-driver roster from a group of 45 qualifiers. The 2020 qualfication routes saw record participation of over 237,000 entrants, a growth of +118% from 109,000 in 2019, with players competing on traditional consoles and also mobile for the first time.
All Pro Draft qualifying drivers are available for selection, with no knockout racing qualification as the series adapts to a shorter process due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the online draft and team picks will take place online in advance.
For the first time, the two winners of the highly successful inaugural season of the F1 Esports Series China Championship (organised by licensed partner Juss Intellisports), Tang Tianyu and Yuan Yifan, will also be available for team selection after their success in last year’s regional campaign, where they came out on top as the fastest two drivers in the competition.
A BIGGER AND BETTER PRO SERIES
The Pro Series will run between October – December, following the same format as last season with a 12round championship made up of four online events featuring three races, but races will now be run at an increased distance of 35%. There will also be a new full qualifying format for the 2020 season in line with real-life F1 World Championship.
F1 Esports Pro Series drivers will be racing on a bespoke version of the recently released F1 2020 official video game developed by Codemasters, with equipment provided by official supplier Fanatec, the world leader in professional simulator hardware, for a third season. Points scoring will once again follow real-life World Championship rules, with F1’s Official Logistics Partner DHL rewarding an extra point to the driver with the fastest lap.
MORE CONTENT THAN EVER BEFORE
This year’s Pro Series will provide fans with more content than ever before with eight live broadcasts, doubling last season’s offering. There will be live racing on Wednesday and Thursday across an event week, and this season will also see the introduction of supplementary livestreamed qualifying sessions on both days further adding to the content proposition for fans across the globe.
The F1 Esports Pro Series 2020 will be broadcast on F1’s social channels (Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya), as well as select TV broadcast partners, with two live shows per event from the Gfinity Arena.
Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports said:
“F1 Esports has had a huge year with the massive success of the Virtual Grand Prix series that we ran through lockdown. This has set us up well for the launch of the 2020 F1 Esports Series which will be our biggest and most innovative season yet. With over 237,000 participants this year, up from 109,000 participants in 2019, we are seeing incredible growth. We also continue to push boundaries by offering our largest ever cash prize fund of $750,000 which is industry-leading as well as continue to innovate by adapting quickly in the current landscape and operating the series entirely remotely as we look to ensure an enjoyable, but safe, Pro Series this year – we can’t wait to get started!”
Frank Sagnier, Codemasters CEO said:
“The appetite for F1® content has never been greater. We saw tremendous success from the Virtual Grand Prix Series, and that momentum has carried through to the launch of F1® 2020. It’s now time for the esports professionals to rise to the challenge. The 2020 F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco promises to be the most exciting and competitive to date. We can’t wait for the virtual racing to begin.”
John Clarke, Gfinity Chief Executive Officer said:
“The F1 Esports Series goes from strength to strength. Formula 1 has benefited from being an early adopter in the gaming space, with millions of young fans now engaging with the series. It is hitting the right notes in terms of driver performance, competitive racing and all round entertaining content. This year is going to raise the bar even higher. Expect high octane racing with lots of tension. Gfinity is proud to be a long-term esports operator for F1 and be at the heart of the design and delivery of this industry-leading competition”.
Codemasters today announces its support for the Keep Fighting Foundation, which is inspired by Michael Schumacher. Launching today on PC, F1® 2020, the official videogame of the 2020 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™, features a set of Keep Fighting Foundation DLC. The premium items, which can be purchased together in-game, features a car livery, podium emote, helmet, gloves, suit and badge. PlayStation®4, Xbox One, and Google Stadia will go live on Tuesday 11 August. Proceeds from the sales will go directly to the Keep Fighting Foundation.
“It was an honour for the studio to focus on Michael’s record-breaking F1® career for the F1® 2020 Deluxe Schumacher Edition,” said Lee Mather, F1® Franchise Game Director at Codemasters. “We are equally proud to support the Keep Fighting Foundation. Many of our players regard Michael as the greatest of all time, and we know the exclusive items will prove incredibly popular.”
The Schumacher trailer can be viewed just below!
F1® 2020 released on Friday 10th July 2020 for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, Windows PC (DVD and via Steam), and Google Stadia. A Limited Edition F1® 2020 Steelbook, also featuring Michael Schumacher, is available in local markets via selected retailers subject to availability.
Codemasters® today celebrates the launch of F1® 2020, the official videogame of the 2020 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP™ for PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, the Xbox One family of devices including the Xbox One X, Windows PC (DVD and via Steam), and Google Stadia. With two new circuits, the introduction of driver-manager feature, My Team, improved on-track options, and the reintroduction of split-screen and more, F1® 2020 caters for race fans of all levels and experience. Currently tracking as one of the highest-rated games of the year according to aggregator site, Metacritic, the F1® 2020 launch trailer can be viewed here:
New simplified menus and assists enable drivers to spend more time competing and less time in the gravel. On-track improvements include ERS activation, which, as in real-life, is now a simple button press, and the introduction of the virtual rear-view mirror. Following its success last season, F2™ returns with three-race, half and full season options. The F2™ 2020 season update will be added later in the year as a free digital download.
To celebrate the Seventieth Anniversary of Formula 1®, fans who purchase F1® 2020 Seventy Edition will receive exclusive in-game items such as podium emotes, car livery and team colours. For fans of Michael Schumacher, a separate Deluxe Schumacher Edition is also available with additional in-game content and four iconic cars from his legendary career. Both editions come with added virtual currency which can unlock Podium Pass VIP. Players can race, earn and unlock more cosmetic items and collect enough currency for the following VIP season.
My Team, a new driver-manager feature, gives players the opportunity to create a new Formula 1® team and take their place alongside the established 2020 driver line-up. From car design to hiring a team-mate and finding sponsors, players now have the added pressure of making sure everything runs smoothly both off and on the track. Players can also choose from the original full 22 race season, and shorter 10 and 16 race season options in both My Team and the 10-season Career.
F1® 2020 features all 10 teams, 20 drivers and cars from the 2020 season. The latest car liveries and team colours, including Mercedes AMG Petronas, will be added as a free digital update.
“F1® 2020 is two years in the making, and we are excited with the level of innovation for players of all levels,” said Lee Mather, F1® Franchise Game Director at Codemasters. “Whether someone wants a split-screen battle with friends, a 10-race season or a full driver-manager experience, F1® 2020 gives players the option to race their way.”
