Team Vitality has joined forces with Renault Sport, Renault’s motorsport and special vehicles division. The partnership has already resulted in the signing of a Rocket League team, who will play as “Renault Sport Team Vitality” for an initial contract period of two years. Renault Sport is also in discussion with Formula One, to compete in its Formula One esports series.

[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]The Team Vitality logo will appear on Renault’s Formula One cars.[/perfectpullquote]

Speaking to The Esports Observer, Bastien Schupp, Vice President Global Brand Strategy and Marketing Communications at Groupe Renault, said that partnering with an existing team would help Renault understand the esports target audience, more so than if the motorsport division was to create their own team or sponsor an event.

“We didn’t feel we’d learn a lot by just putting our stickers on the big events and becoming sponsors,” he says. “You’re not really in the heart of how decisions are being taken. Just putting money in there, we felt, wouldn’t give us the learning curve that we needed.”

As part of the partnership, Team Vitality’s players in other games, including its League of Legends squad-currently competing in the EU LCS-would have access to Renault Sports management and facilities. The Team Vitality logo will also appear on Renault’s Formula One cars. “Team Vitality, as a team, regardless of the league they play in, will gain visibility from us,” says Schupp.



Team Vitality’s CEO, Nicolas Maurer, had hinted towards the expansion into more games last week when Team Vitality raised €2.5 million in an investment round. He then said that the money will be spent to create a League of Legends academy, and attract the best players to create rosters for more titles.



Renault Sport is a two times Formula One champion as a constructor, while it participated in nine more championship victories as an engine provider. This is the second noteworthy meeting point between esports and motorsport this month. Last week, Fnatic announced that Nick Fry, the Former CEO of Mercedes AMG Formula One Team, would join the organization as its new head of commercial strategy.