Live sport has been decimated ever since the Covid-19 pandemic has taken hold.
No football, no GAA, no rugby, and now, lads aren't even allowed to drive fast cars around a circuit. Formula 1 chiefs yesterday decided to postpone five races at the beginning of the racing calendar, as well as cancelling the first race last weekend in Melbourne and the showpiece Monaco GP.
Formula 1 have decided to think on their feet in order to deliver some entertainment without live action.
Much like we've done over on our Facebook page, Formula 1 have decided to launch a new F1 eSports Virtual Grand Prix series.
The series will include actual F1 drivers, as well as their eSports counterparts and, according to Formula 1 themselves, 'a host of stars'.
The series will utilise the computer game F1 2019, with all competitors playing from remote locations. Each race length will be at 50%, with each race lasting one hour 30 minutes. If a location, for example Vietnam, is not in the game, an alternate circuit will be played.
The series will continue on race weekends that were not scheduled to have races. The series is strictly for entertainment purposes, so unfortunately, none of the eSports players are able to win the actual F1 title without ever stepping into a car.
F1's Head of Digital Initiatives Julian Tan stated that these challenging times are an opportunity 'to highlight the benefits of eSports and the incredible skill that's on show'.
Gfinity CEO John Clarke promises that the virtual Bahrain GP, scheduled for this Sunday, 'will feature all the thrills and spills of racing with F1 drivers and special guest celebrities going head-to-head, which promises to put a smile back on the faces of millions of sports fans'.
The F1 eSports Virtual Grand Prix is scheduled to run until the end of May, but may last longer if the pandemic results in further cancellations or postponements.
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