W Series, the Formula 3 all-female motorsports championship, will be an entirely virtual affair this year, as all 8 real-world races are cancelled due to the COVID-19 crisis.
After consulting with Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), Formula 1, German Touring Car Masters (DTM), and its partners and suppliers, organisers of W Series made the decision to cancel this year’s real-world racing, and instead entertain fans through a its new W Series Esports League.
A 10-circuit calendar, run in partnership with peripherals brand Logitech G, Logitech-owned esports community and news outlet Beyond Entertainment, and sim racing software iRacing, the 2020 W Series Esports League will feature digital models of the Tatuus Formula Renault 2.0 car – which is said to be similar in terms of performance to the W Series Tatuus Formula 3 car.
All 18 drivers who qualified for the real-world W Series this year will be taking part in the new esports league. Three drivers from the 2019 competition will also be joining the new virtual series.
AYO.NEWS says:
Given the fact that international travel is likely to remain hamstrung by the COVID-19 triggered flight restrictions for some time yet, it’s not surprising to see the W Series cancel its real-life races and migrate to the virtual world. At the end of May we saw the famous Isle of Man TT motorcycle event also ditch real-life races in favour of virtual ones.
In addition to real-world events moving to the virtual world, we’ve also seen a slew of new sim racing competitions announced recently, driven by the massive profile boost the genre has received during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
As we reported just yesterday, London-based esports tournament organiser Gfinity has partnered with Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management (ADMM) to create a new sim racing championship, while earlier this week real-world Formula 1 drivers Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello announced they would be racing for the new FA/RB Allinsports team in the Le Mans Virtual.
And, at the end of last week, prestigious Italian supercar manufacturer Lamborghini officially entered the world of esports, partnering with Assetto Corsa Competizione by Kunos Simulazioni to launch the one-make series The Real Race.
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