Yep, it’s yet another virtual racing series – but given the reason for hosting this one, you can’t begrudge the drivers involved from wanting to create it.
Over the next week, 20 drivers will compete in and stream a short six-race championship on F1 2019. The roster of F1 drivers taking part will be familiar to anyone who’s watching F1’s official esports races – George Russell, Alex Albon, Nicholas Latifi, Antonio Giovinazzi, and Charles Leclerc (who won last weekend on his F1 esports debut) are all part of the initiative. Lando Norris is also scheduled to take part, but that’s assuming his game actually works this time.
The rest of the grid is also made up of names from the motorsport world, as well as Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
#RACEFORTHEWORLD
So happy to make this happen.
We all need to be united in this and to see all of this group coming together for one cause feels great.
1st Event will be tomorrow at 7PM CEST.
Any questions on the event ? I am now live on Twitch to answer all your questions. pic.twitter.com/EjG0O6k2n2— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) April 10, 2020
The championship consists of three double-header rounds on 11 April, 14 April, and 17 April, each getting underway at 18:00 UK time, with the various drivers streaming the races on their Twitch channels. Presumably to prevent any kind of intense practising and keep the racing close, the tracks being used will be chosen live on stream in the build-up to each event.
The idea behind the whole thing is to raise money for the World Health Organisation in the fight against Covid-19. It’s a great cause, and if we get some good racing and hilarious banter between the drivers (which with Antonio Felix da Costa taking part is an absolute certainty) then that’s a welcome bonus.
