Racing Fans Unite: Don’t Miss This Weekend’s F1 Virtual GP!

F1 Racing and Sim Racing team on an epic global tour

April 17, 2020

Sim Racing, or simulated race car driving, has been around since the late 80’s. But in the past weeks, motor racing fans have had to face the postponement and/or cancellation of the first eight races of the F1 season. And what better way to cope than to flock to the online version of the sport? Hundreds of thousands have been tuning in every weekend, taking front row seats at virtual races where current and former F1 drivers compete against celebrities and professional sim racers alike. And this weekend’s Virtual Chinese Grand Prix will be no exception.

Alex Albon, a Formula 1 race car driver from the PUMA-sponsored Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team, is preparing for a tough race. This weekend, on April 19th, he’ll be competing against Charles LeClerc, a Formula 1 driver from the PUMA-sponsored Scuderia Ferrari team. Both drivers have more than enough experience under their belt, and race simulators are familiar territory for these pros, but this Sunday they’ll be stretching their e-sports muscles, in the Virtual F1 Grand Prix.

The Origins of Sim Racing

Generally acknowledged to have really taken off in 1989 with the introduction of Papyrus Design Group’s Indianapolis 500: The Simulation, SIM Racing has come a long way since 16-bit computer hardware.

The simulator is good for practicing consistency and precision. Top drivers don’t make mistakes.

Timo Glock, BMW DTM Factory Driver

This is new terrain for F1, too. The current Virtual GP series is the sport’s innovative solution to the current global crisis. With the competitions at bay, drivers have some time on their hands. And race fans do, too. In solidarity, many brands are jumping on board, from Formula 1 and BMW to motorsport magazines, Sim Racing events are being launched across the globe.

And of course, there’s the social aspect of the community coming together. People are collectively rallying behind the sport that they’re so passionate about, keeping it alive and well through SIM racing.

It’s great that SIM Racing is experiencing this boom, and we love that it’s bringing the community together in tough times. And of course, PUMA is happy to support our drivers on this new frontier.

James Clark, Head of Sports Marketing Motorsport & Operations @PUMA

Want to get caught up? Check out the Formula 1 page for more info. And Instagram pages are full of great Sim Racing posts. From F1 and AstonMartin Red Bull Racing, to Alex Albon and Charles Leclerc, social media channels are buzzing, making it easy to jump in on the conversations and share the big wins. See you at the next race!

Tune in This Weekend

(Source: Formula1.com)
Drivers will join the race remotely, with a host broadcast live from the Gfinity Esports Arena from 18:00 BST (17:00 UTC) on Sunday April 19 – a change from previous weekends where races have started at 20:00 BST.

The broadcast which will be available on F1.com, the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch, Weibo and Facebook channels, is expected to run for 1 hour 30 minutes, with a qualifying period where grid positions will be determined based on the drivers’ fastest lap time, followed by a 28-lap race.

The Virtual Grand Prix will also be broadcast live with international broadcast partners in over 100 countries including in the UK on Sky Sports and in the US on ESPN.

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Racing Fans Unite: Don’t Miss This Weekend’s F1 Virtual GP!

Tune in This Weekend

Sim Racing At-a-Glance

Motorsport @PUMA

Max Verstappen and Pierre Gasly suit up for the 1,007th Formula 1 Race

PUMA Motorsport triumphs in the two biggest races of the year

Red Bull Racing Formula 1 Driver Max Verstappen talked about his training routine

PUMA designs, produces and sells Formula 1-branded products trackside on race weekends

Catch up now speaks more languages

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