Motorsport fans will be treated to live race action this weekend as top real-world and virtual racers do battle in The Race’s All-Star Esports Battle.

Formula E championship leader Antonio Felix da Costa is among the world-class drivers who will go head-to-head with gamer-to-racer pioneer Rudy van Buren and amputee racer Billy Monger, in the ground-breaking event that will be streamed live on The Race’s YouTube channel.

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The Race All-Star Esports Battle has been created by Torque Esports in partnership with leading race simulation software rFactor 2 in response to the escalating number of cancellations of motorsport events, such as this weekend’s Australian GP and the classic Sebring 12 Hours and Long Beach Grand Prix IndyCar race.

Twenty racers will be hand-picked for the event, which will take place at 14:00 CET on Sunday March 15, with another 20 rFactor2 drivers earning their spot through a global single-lap qualifying session on Saturday.

“Race fans are desperate for some action but the recent glut of cancellations has really opened the opportunity for us to present a brilliant virtual event,” The-Race.com’s Head of Motorsport, Andrew van de Burgt said.

“Unlike traditional races, all our competitors will not be in the same place – eliminating any concerns of transmitting the virus.

“This is the beauty of virtual racing – we’ll have 40 racers competing around the world from their own homes and then thousands of fans also watching without having to leave their couch.”

Two group sprint races will be held on Sunday along with a last-chance qualifier. The top eight from each heat and the last-chance qualifier will make the final. A total of 24 racers will battle for the US$10k prize money package.