How to Become an F1 Esports Driver
Contents
Do you want to become an F1 Esports driver? Here’s everything you need to know, from how to qualify to what the requirements are.
Introduction
Formula 1 is launching its inaugural esports series in 2017, giving gaming racers around the world the chance to compete against each other for a shot at becoming an official F1 esports driver.
The F1 Esports Series will be open to all gamers who will race in the newly launched F1 2017 game by Codemasters. To be eligible to race, gamers must hold a competition license from their national sporting authority and be aged 16 or over.
The series will consist of three qualifying rounds, held online between September and November, with each round narrowing down the field of racers until just 40 drivers remain. These 40 drivers will then compete in the live finals, which will be held at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, UK, in January 2018.
The winner of the F1 Esports Series will receive an invitation to become an official F1 esports driver for the 2018 season, with the opportunity to represent their chosen team in races against other real-life F1 teams and drivers.
What is F1 Esports?
F1 Esports is the official Formula 1 esports series, sanctioned by the sport’s governing body, the FIA. Launched in September 2017, this is the pinnacle of motorsport esports where the fastest racing drivers in the world compete against each other in a championship spanning over 10 races on F1 game franchises.
To become an F1 Esports driver, you will need to compete in one of the official qualifying races. Here, you will be up against some of the quickest racers on the planet with one goal in mind – to make it into the F1 Esports Pro Series and race against the world’s best at live events.
If you’re successful in qualifying, you’ll be drafted into an official F1 team and will receive support from some of motorsport’s biggest names. You’ll also get access to state-of-the-art simulators and performance facilities, as well as specialist coaching from Formula 1 drivers and engineers to help take your skills to the next level.
The Pro Series itself is made up of three regional championships – Europe, Americas and Asia-Pacific – which each have their own live events throughout the season. At each event, drivers will score points depending on their finishing position with the aim of becoming champion of their respective region.
The top drivers from each region will then be invited to compete in a live final at the end of the season where they’ll go head-to-head in a bid to be crowned overall F1 Esports World Champion.
The F1 Esports Pro Series
The F1 Esports Pro Series is the pinnacle of motorsport’s virtual racing world, where the best sim racers on the planet go head-to-head in a bid to be crowned champion.
The series is open to anyone, with qualifying taking place online ahead of each season. The top 40 players are then invited to take part in the Pro Draft, where they are selected by teams to compete in the Pro Series.
To be in with a chance of being drafted, drivers need to display their speed and race craft in qualification races, which take place on the official Formula 1 game. They will also be assessed on their creativity, social media profile and personality.
The F1 Esports Invitational
The F1 Esports Invitational is a chance for aspiring F1 Esports drivers to show off their skills in a competitive environment. The top 16 drivers from the qualifiers will be invited to take part in the main event, which will be held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 25-26 May 2019.
To take part in the qualifiers, you must first register for an account on the F1 Esports website. Once you have registered, you will need to log in and complete the sign-up process for the Invitational.
The sign-up process for the Invitational involves choosing your preferred console (PS4 or Xbox One) and completing a series of practice races. These practice races will help the game servers allocate you to a race group that is of a similar skill level to yourself.
Once you have been allocated to a race group, you will be able to compete in the qualifiers. The qualifier races will take place over two weekends in April, with the top 16 drivers from each platform progressing to the main event.
At the main event, drivers will compete in a series of races using the same cars, tracks and settings that are used in the official F1 Championship. The winner of the event will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend an F1 Grand Prix, as well as other prizes.
How to get started in F1 Esports
In order to become an F1 Esports driver, you first need to be good at the game F1 2019. If you are not already good at the game, you will need to put in many hours of practice in order to catch up to the competition.
The next step is to join an official team. There are many different teams that participate in the F1 Esports Pro Series, each with their own requirements and selection processes. Joining a team is not mandatory, but it will give you a much better chance of success.
If you want to join a team, the best way to find one is by searching for “F1 esports teams” on Google. This will bring up a list of teams that you can contact. Alternatively, you can also try reaching out to teams directly through social media or by attending live events.
Once you have joined a team, your next goal should be to qualify for the F1 Esports Pro Series. The Pro Series is the top echelon of F1 Esports, and only the best drivers in the world are able to compete in it.
In order to qualify for the Pro Series, you first need to finish in the top 10 of an official F1 Esports qualifying event. There are two qualifying events held each year, one before the start of the season and one during the season. The qualifying event before the season is known as the “Pro Draft”, while the event during the season is known as “The Showdown”.
The Pro Draft is open to all drivers who finished in the top 10 of an official F1 Esports event during the previous season. The Showdown is open to all drivers who have finished in the top 10 of either qualifying event during that season.
Once you have qualified for The Showdown, your goal should be to finish in the top 3. Doing so will earn you a place on one of the 10 official teams that compete in the F1 Esports Pro Series.
The benefits of becoming an F1 Esports driver
There are many benefits to becoming an F1 Esports driver. Perhaps the most obvious is that you could potentially earn a lot of money. The prize money for the F1 Esports Series has been steadily increasing over the past few years, and it is now worth a cool $1 million. That’s not bad for a few hours’ work!
But it’s not just about the money. Becoming an F1 Esports driver also gives you the chance to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in motorsport. You will get to meet drivers, engineers and team bosses from all over the world, and learn from them firsthand.
And then there are the perks. As an F1 Esports driver, you will be given VIP treatment at races, with access to exclusive areas and events that most fans can only dream of. You will also get to visit some amazing locations – like Abu Dhabi, for example, which plays host to the final race of the season.
So if you’re looking for a way to break into motorsport, or if you’re just after a bit of excitement in your life, then becoming an F1 Esports driver is definitely worth considering!
The future of F1 Esports
With the increasing popularity of gaming and esports, it was only a matter of time until the two worlds collided. That day has arrived with the launch of F1 Esports, an official competitive gaming series sanctioned by Formula One themselves.
The aim of F1 Esports is to give talented gamers the opportunity to showcase their skills on a global stage, with the ultimate goal of becoming an official F1 esports driver for a real-world Formula One team. Team Red Bull Racing was the first to sign an esport driver, signing Dutch gamer Max Verstappen to their team in 2017.
If you think you have what it takes to become an F1 esport driver, here’s what you need to know.
You need to be good at gaming
This one is pretty obvious – but don’t underestimate just how good you need to be. The current crop of F1 esports drivers are some of the best in the world at playing the game, so you’ll need to be able to match them shot for shot if you want to stand a chance of being signed by a team.
You need to be fast and consistent
Speed isn’t everything in F1 esports – but it is important. Not only do you need raw speed to be competitive, but you also need to be able to maintain that speed over long periods of time. The best drivers are those who can find a happy balance between raw pace and consistency.
You need to be well-rounded
In the real world of Formula One, drivers are not only judged on their lap times – they are also judged on their ability to manage tires, overtake other cars, and make strategy calls during races. The same is true for F1 esports drivers, so it’s important that you have a well-rounded skill set if you want to be successful.
You need thick skin
Like any other sport, motorsport can be brutal – and that extends to esports as well. If you can’t handle criticism or setbacks then esports probably isn’t for you. You need to have thick skin if you want to make it as an F1 esport driver.