Racing and eSports

Formula 1 racing has been a staple of entertainment throughout Europe. Exotic cars, high speed, and scenic views along the tracks have attracted thousands to love the sport of racing. This year, Formula 1 is moving to the digital screen as Formula 1 Esports. The league announced their Pro Draft to find representatives for nine F1 teams. The companies being represented are:

- Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport

- Red Bull Racing

- Hype Energy eForce India F1 Esports Team

- Williams

- Renault Sport Team Vitality

- Haas F1 Esports Team

- McLaren

- Toro Rosso Esports

- Sauber F1 Team

The draft will contain players spanning over 15 countries across the European continent and will take place on July 8th in Silverstone. They will be playing for a $200,000 prize pool between 3 live events.

Recently, McLaren has announced their Shadow Project esports program. They will have contestants compete in August 2018 till January 2019 with a chance to join the McLaren esports team. Contestants will play a multitude of racing games including Forza Motorsport on Xbox One, Real Racing 3 on mobile, and rFactor on PC.

Racing games have been one of the slowest genres to transition to the competitive scene. However, with the large European interest and a dedicated community, it seems that this is the best chance to take the first step.