Formula 1 announced they are bringing their Esports competition for the third season! Not only that, but the fans of the electronic sport will now have even hotter competition than before. This year’s F1 Esports prize is going to be more than double the last time – $500,000.

The format remains quite similar to last year’s, but has been extended. Esports players can now qualify for the F1 2018 tournament on Playstation 4, Xbox One and compatible PCs.

The players selected in the first, qualifying stage, will be progressing to the Pro Draft stage. That will take place during two days in July. This is the stage that will pick the players good enough to qualify forevent. This is the point where real-life Formula 1 teams will be able to choose the drivers for themselves.

The first day of two will feature a series of race-offs between the drivers, from which the best ones will be picked out. The slowest ones will be, naturally, eliminated and this is where the Formula 1 teams step in to choose the drivers of their choice.

Once they’ve been picked, the event is ready to roll. Set to take place between September and December 2019, there will be four live events in which, in the end, will we see the fastest player of the lot.







One more interesting point is that F1 is planning to expand the competition to China for the first time. There will be a series of invitational events in the Asian country into the 2020 Pro Draft.

If you want to enter the event, you can, as well – what you need to do is complete one attempt during the three online qualifying events on F1 2018. They will be hosted between April and May, so go and register to www.f1esports.com if you’d like to try yourself out.

Sean Bratches, F1’s commercial managing director, said: “Last season was a decisive year for F1 Esports with the inclusion of the first official teams and record audience figures. As we move into the 2019 season, F1 will remain at the front of this exploding industry. The potential within this space is extremely big both as a commercial opportunity, but importantly, as a way for the sport to engage with the next generation of motorsport fans.

We are committed to exponential growth in the world of Esports, and as a result, the 2019 season is going to be even bigger and better. Having more than doubled the prize fund, we plan to attract even more talent than before and to continue the upward trajectory we are currently on.”

On the other side of the park,Codemasters’ CEO (the publishers of the F1’s official video game) said: “The F1 New Balance Esports Series creates great opportunities for Codemasters to further engage with our core community and develop experiences for fans with a passion for both virtual and real-world racing. We’re always investigating ways to better integrate Esports into our F1 games, as this will encourage more players to test their race skills against the top professionals. We look forward to welcoming the new talent who will emerge this season.”

Related: Nissan Enters Esports With Two Partnerships