WILLIAMS RACING’S RUSSEL & LATIFI GEAR UP FOR VIRTUAL BRITISH GRAND PRIX

Williams Racing’s George Russel and Nicholas Latifi will be headlining this weekend’s Virtual British Grand Prix. 

It will be the second of three special F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix events, in which teams compete to win a share of $100K USD to donate to their nominated charities – although each nominated charity will receive a significant donation from the overall prize fund, regardless of whether the team finished first of last in the standings after the three events.

2021’s Virtual Grand Prix events each begin with a sprint-race, featuring the teams’ F1 Esports Pro Series drivers, to establish the starting grid, before the teams’ pairings, consisting of motorsport stars, sporting heroes, and celebrities, take to the track to compete. 

The final event is set for 14 February, when drivers will race on the iconic Interlagos circuit, before attention turns to the start of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship in Bahrain next month.

Looking forward to the weekend, Head of Digital Business Initiatives & Esports at Formula 1, Julian Tan, said:

“It’s great to welcome George and Nicholas back to the grid this weekend, alongside a host of fantastic names from across the motorsport world. 

“The drivers always enjoy driving around the iconic Silverstone circuit, even virtually, so we are really looking forward to Sunday’s race. The first event was a lot of fun, and it is terrific to see our drivers do good for charity whilst entertaining fans around the world as we await the start of the 2021 season.”

The virtual British Grand Prix will be broadcast from 18:00 GMT on Sunday 7 February on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, Huya (China), and Weibo (China) channels, as well as international television partners including Sky Sports, ESPN, FOX Sports, and Ziggo.

AYO.NEWS says:

During the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, F1 esports, like other sim racing, came to the fore as a way of keeping both fans and drivers engaged with motorsport. However, even though real-world events are up and running again, the popularity of sim racing looks set to continue growing.

In November, AYO.NEWS’ very own Simona Pinterova caught up with Head of Digital Business Initiatives & Esports at Formula 1, Julian Tan, to find out how the iconic racing organisation has expanded its esports offering, and what plans it has for the future.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

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