F1 News

Digital races fill the gap perfectly; We haven't slept

Digital races fill the gap perfectly; "We haven't slept"

24-03-2020 15:52
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Lennard Verhage

Because nowhere in the world there is being raced, and Formula 1 is at a standstill for the time being, several drivers are diving into racing games. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, for example, are frequently active in various digital races and a new race is scheduled for later this week.

Many participants

While the races on real asphalt have come to a standstill, there has been a sharp increase in digital races. "It feels like we've had two Le Mans weeks, we haven't slept," says Darren Cox of Torque Esports and founder of The Race against Reuters. This organisation was responsible for last weekend's All-Stars race.

"We are already working on the next one, which we will hold next weekend and at the moment we are changing the format because there are too many drivers. I think we have thirty confirmed drivers who want to participate."

Increased interest

Not only the races have increased, Cox has also noticed that the interest in digital racing has suddenly increased significantly. "People I've spoken to over the years had absolutely no interest in gaming and suddenly they want to participate. It's bizarre, I've never seen anything like it."

With millions of viewers worldwide for digital races in which professional drivers participate, and the increase in the number of races, it is an increasingly popular alternative to regular racing. What obviously helps is the participation of professional (F1) drivers.