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.

BAKU BECKONS FOR THE LATEST F1® 2020 HOT LAP AHEAD OF VIRTUAL GRAND PRIX

June 5th, 2020 by Jenny Marshall

It’s time to reveal the latest circuit to feature from F1® 2020’s hot lap series. Ahead of this weekend’s Virtual Grand Prix at the same location, the lap, on Azerbaijan’s Baku City Circuit, was recorded by the F1® 2020 development team and features Antonio Giovinazzi in his vibrant Alfa Romeo. The video can be viewed here.

Since its addition to the racing calendar in 2016, the tricky city circuit has quickly become a fan-favourite. Sparing no shortage of nail-biting moments right from the off with a tight turn one left-hander, drivers must navigate the high-risk, big-reward castle corner and accompanying blind ascent. Players must also master turn 15 before the long hairpin and even longer start/finish straight.

This Sunday, June 7, F1® drivers Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly make their Virtual Grand Prix debuts on F1® 2019. Returning once again are Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, Nicholas Latifi, Antonio Giovinazzi, and – fresh from his back-to-back victories at Monaco and Spain – George Russell. Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte will also be taking to the track, as will AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, rally biker Matthias Walkner, and Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois – his fourth Virtual Grand Prix appearance. The live broadcast starts at 6pm (BST) on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch, the Formula1game Facebook page and Weibo, alongside several international broadcast partners.

F1® 2020 will be released on Friday 10 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. Players who purchase the Michael Schumacher Deluxe Edition will receive exclusive content and three days early access.

For future news and details on all the new features follow the Formula 1 game website and social channels on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

F1® 2020 HEADS TO MONACO WITH NEW HOT LAP AHEAD OF VIRTUAL GRAND PRIX

May 21st, 2020 by Jenny Marshall

We’re very happy to be able to show you the first F1® 2020 in-game hot lap on Circuit de Monaco, ahead of the iconic circuit’s appearance at this weekend’s Virtual Grand Prix. On the weekend where it was initially scheduled in the F1® calendar, the lap, recorded by the F1® 2020 development team, features Pierre Gasly’s newly re-branded AlphaTauri. The video can be viewed here.

Considered one of the most challenging circuits in the F1® calendar, navigating Monaco’s tight street circuit takes immense skill and courage with little chance to take your foot off the gas from start to finish. F1® 2020’s iteration is no different, with a full track visual uplift now complete following the updates in F1® 2019.

This Sunday, 24th May, F1® drivers including Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, Esteban Ocon George Russell, Nicholas Latifi, and Antonio Giovinazzi return for the latest Virtual Grand Prix on F1® 2019’s Circuit de Monaco. The live broadcast starts at 6pm (BST) on the official Formula 1® YouTube, Twitch, Weibo, and Facebook channels alongside several international broadcast partners.

F1® 2020 will be 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. Players who purchase the Michael Schumacher Deluxe Edition will receive exclusive content and three days early access.

For future news and details on all the new features follow the Formula 1 game website and social channels on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

You can see our F1® 2020 screenshots right here: