F1 Esports Wins at the 2020 Sports Technology Awards

F1 Esports was revealed as the winner of the ‘Best Use of Esports by a Sports Brand’ at the 2020 Sports Technology Awards, the leading global celebration of tech-led innovations in sports.

F1 Esports faced tough competition for the trophy, overcoming the likes of NBA and MotoGP, who were also in contention for the award.

Rebecca Hopkins, CEO of The STA Group, owners of The Sports Technology Awards, explained: “The Sports Technology Awards have unequivocally become the sector’s ultimate accolade and is recognised as a mark of excellence internationally. We see exciting trends emerge each year and 2020 was no different. Our judges, who are seasoned experts, noted that the sophistication inherent in so many entries were exciting to witness, not least of all in how they are set to change the face of our sector.”

Gfinity and F1 esports

For the last three years, Gfinity has worked with Formula 1 to design, develop and deliver the main elements of the F1 Esports Series presented by Aramco.

Recently, Gfinity extended its relationship with F1, announcing that the company has been appointed to deliver the main elements of the 2020 and 2021 F1 Esports Series, as well as the 2022 qualifying events.

As part of the multi-year agreement, Gfinity provides a dedicated account management team responsible for the delivery of all elements of the programme.

The company also delivers a full league operations team, responsible for writing all rules and governing the participating drivers, and provides the use of ‘Race Control’, Gfinity’s proprietary in-race adjudication system.

Furthermore, the Virtual Grand Prix Series, delivered by Gfinity, hit an enormous 30 million views across TV and digital platforms during the lockdown period, between March and June this year.

The series was created to enable fans to continue watching Formula 1 races virtually during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating F1 as a leading sports brand in the esports sector.

John Clarke, Gfinity CEO, said: “This award is a testament to the vision that Formula 1 had back in 2017 and the value of building a great team to bring that vision to life. Julian and the F1 team give us the support to create an amazing online and broadcast product that engages young gamers and racing fans alike. What has been achieved in the past is great. But that is just the start. This year’s Series, and beyond, is only going to get better and better”.

Paul Kent, Director of Esports at Gfinity, said: “As we reflect on all the incredible work that’s been delivered by the team, what stands out the most is that we never lost sight of our original principles to be led by innovation, technology and most importantly to democratise the F1 Esport Series with concepts such as the Draft Show. By standing by these principles we have managed to continually break down barriers and introduce Formula 1 to a whole new generation of fans.”