F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix returns Sunday, delivered by Gfinity

The F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix was a revelation last year, entertaining 30 million fans who were left with a racing-shaped hole in their lives during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We recently announced that Gfinity plc (AIM: GFIN), a world-leading esports provider, has been selected to deliver the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix series for the second consecutive year, having worked closely with Formula 1 on the design and delivery of the series last year.

Gfinity will oversee the tournament operations and broadcast production, enabling fans to enjoy virtual F1 races in the build-up to the Formula 1 season.

The F1 Virtual Grand Prix 2021 consists of three events, with the first race kicking off on Sunday 31 January at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.  The two subsequent races will take place on Sunday 7 February and Sunday 14 February.

The series uses the official F1 2020 video game, developed by Codemasters. Each race is broadcast live from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London and will be available on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels.

For those in the UK, the Virtual GP will also be shown live on Sky Sports F1 at 6pm GMT on race days.

Gfinity CEO, John Clarke said: “The Virtual Grand Prix series is a great innovation from Formula 1. It gives fans a deeper look into the personalities and passions of their favourite F1 drivers. It also gives Gfinity the opportunity to demonstrate its virtual production tech IP, connecting the drivers from all over the world in live real-time races for broadcast on Sky Sports. It is a great way to kick off 2021, Formula 1 style!”