George Russell and Nicholas Latifi Line Up For #ChallengeWilliams Event

April 23, 2020

Decades of history. Multiple world championships. And now, it’s down to you.

In the latest instalment of the F1 Esports Challenge series, Rokit Williams Racing duo Nicholas Latifi and George Russell will take on celebrities, Williams alumni, and a lobby full of fans in a unique event.

It’s the second race weekend of its kind in F1 Esports, with the inaugural #ChallengeLando event in March showcasing McLaren’s young charger Lando Norris in a variety of different race styles. This time, we’ve doubled the fun, with two full-time F1 racers on board.

FORMAT

We have three challenges on the agenda, with a maximum total of nine points up for grabs for both Latifi and Russell. They’ll be scored on how they fare in each discipline, for things such as finishing position, fastest lap, and overakes.

The Williams Showdown will kick things off. It’s a very exclusive club of Williams personalities past and present. This five-lap race will pit the 2020 Williams duo against a squad of other drivers linked to the legendary British team. All comers have at least 48 hours of preparation time, and the grid is limited to six racers, meaning high stakes, and a level playing field. The winner will get one point.

POULTER’S REVENGE

We’ve been fortunate to have PGA Tour superstar Ian Poulter join us for several F1 Esports events now – and he returns for another shot at glory here. Anyone who watched the #ChallengeLando event will remember an unfortunate showboating incident which ruined his chances of victory…

When you try to showboat… but there's still a lap to go 😂 ⏱ @IanJamesPoulter got a 20-second lead

😏 @LandoNorris was given five laps to hunt him down But he only needed four! Tune in to the stream as our #ChallengeLando evening continues >> https://t.co/D96XKWlzo7 pic.twitter.com/My957NHa5n — Formula 1 (@F1) March 29, 2020

This time, he’s back for revenge, and he’s brought some celebrity friends with him too.

This 25% race with a 10-strong grid will task George and Nicky with emulating a legendary Williams drive from history. Namely, Nigel Mansell’s mythic home win at Silverstone in 1987. Back then, Mansell duelled with his team mate Nelson Piquet, and so the modern pairing will have to get the better of one another to succeed.

There are points on offer for several feats here: Fastest lap, take second place by the penultimate lap, passing a team mate, and of course, the all-important win. A fifth bonus objective will be set mid-race by the stream casters, giving a maximum of five points on offer.

FAN GRID CHAOS

Let’s open this up to the floor. We’re inviting 16 lucky fans to join the lobby and race against the Williams pairing in a 25% race. Williams Academy drivers Jack Aitken and Dan Ticktum will also be racing, meaning a quartet of stars to fight throughout the grid. Here’s where things get interesting though.

As the stream gets under way, we’ll be opening a poll on Twitch. It’ll be this poll that decides the race conditions for the final event. A choice of four circuits, plus weather elements will be in the hands of the viewers, adding further unpredictability to what is already sure to be a mad dash to the chequered flag.

Starting mid-pack, Latifi and Russell will attempt to turn the tides and take another win in #ChallengeWilliams. Two points are on offer for victory, with one for runner-up, and a bonus point for fastest lap. That spells three potential points, for a grand total of nine.

STREAMING

We’re going live at 17:00 UTC, or 18:00 BST, across Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch, so make sure you’re following F1 on your platform of choice! Keep an eye out on social media for your chance to join the fan lobby, too. Simply reply to the post with your Steam username, and we’ll draft in 16 at random for the final challenge.

Good luck, and we’ll see you on track!