Six F1 Drivers And Special Guests Line Up For Second Virtual Grand Prix!

April 2, 2020

Current Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, George Russell, Lando Norris, Nicholas Latifi and Antonio Giovinazzi are all confirmed for the second instalment of the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix this weekend.

The squad of current racers are complemented by ex-F1 drivers Johnny Herbert, Anthony Davidson, and Jenson Button, all of whom are familiar faces on Sky Sports F1. A host of other stars are also on board, including England’s Cricket World Cup Winner, BBC Sports Personality of the Year and Red Bull Athlete Ben Stokes.

THE EVENT

This weekend’s virtual Grand Prix is the second race in the new F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series, which gives fans the chance to watch Formula 1 races virtually, despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation.

This weekend’s Grand Prix will take place on the Albert Park track, traditionally used for the Australian Grand Prix, on the weekend originally scheduled for Hanoi’s inaugural Street Circuit race in Vietnam.

The Vietnam circuit is currently not available on the 2019 official F1 video game so drivers will show off their skills on the Albert Park circuit. Drivers will join the race remotely, with a host broadcast live from the Gfinity Esports Arena from 8:00pm (BST) on Sunday April 5.

THE GRID

Taking it from the top, Mercedes will once again have Stoffel Vadnoorne and Esteban Gutierrez at the wheel. Meanwhile FDA Hublot Esports Team’s fraternal pairing of Charles and Arthur Leclerc is sure to showcase an exciting sibling rivalry.

Red Bull Racing Esports boast the multi-disciplined pairing of full-time Alex Albon, and cricket susperstar and Red Bull athlete Ben Stokes. McLaren boast in exciting blend of past and present drivers, with Lando Norris teaming up with 2009 world champion Jenson Button.

Renault Sport Team Vitality showcase two varied drivers from the world of motorsport, in academy member and Formula 2 driver Christian Lundgaard, and V8 Supercars high-flyer, Andre Heimgartner. Racing Point’s hopes will once again be pinned on broadcaster and racer Anthony Davidson, and sim racing royalty and punterino merchant Jimmy Broadbent.

AlphaTauri once again deploy pro motorcycle rider Luca Salvadori, alongside sim racer and YouTuber Nunzio Todisco, AKA NU89. Alfa Romeo Racing Esports boast their 2020 driver Antonio Giovinazzi, and he’s partnered by Johnny Herbert, who amused many in the inaugural Virtual Grand Prix with his corner-cutting antics at Turn 1 in Bahrain.

Haas F1 Esports Team have the services of their test and reserve drivers Pietro Fittipaldi and Louis Deletraz, and Williams opt for their 2020 F1 drivers George Russell and Nicholas Latifi.

HOW TO WATCH

The broadcast which will be available on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels, is expected to run for 1 hour 30 minutes, with a qualifying period where grid positions will be determined based on the drivers’ fastest lap time, followed by a 28-lap race.

The Virtual Grand Prix will also be broadcast live with international broadcast partners including in the UK on Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event. Due to the wide variety of gaming skill levels amongst the drivers, game settings will be configured in such a way to encourage competitive and entertaining racing.

This includes running equal car performance with fixed setups, reduced vehicle damage, and optional anti-lock brakes and traction control for those less familiar with the game.

After the virtual Vietnam Grand Prix is over, a special F1 Esports Pro Exhibition race featuring esports gamers will follow from 9:30pm (BST). The broadcast will be available on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels as well as selected TV broadcasters and is expected to run for 1 hour.