How real and virtual racing go hand in hand at Formula E esports
This weekend the Formula E London E-Prix took place at the ExCel exhibition centre, the only top-level indoor and outdoor track in international motosport. It may not quite have the prestige of F1, but the sport is rapidly growing in popularity.
And it’s not just about electric cars, but virtual ones too. On Friday night the second Accelerate esports championship took centre stage at the London E-Prix. Streamed live on Twitch and YouTube, it saw drivers going head-to-head to win a share of €100,000.
The esports arm of Formula E grew during the pandemic and a need to engage racing fans online. Now that’s shifted towards expanding the audience of the sport, enticing fans to watch the real E-Prix through a love of video games and esports.
“It’s not just about creating a media product that is theoretically a competitor to our core race,” says Kieran Holmes-Darby, gaming director at Formula E. “It’s actually about creating something that engages a new fanbase for us and gives a way for a new audience to really engage with the sport.