F1 has announced its entry into the Esports arena with the launch of the Formula 1® Esports Series. The long-awaited competition, which begins in September 2017, is a partnership between Formula 1, racing game developer and publisher Codemasters and Gfinity, the global leaders in Esports events and competitions.

The virtual racing event premieres August 25 on the official F1 2017 video game platform released worldwide on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Windows PC via DVD and Stream. The competition will see F1 fans and virtual hotshoes from all over the world race head-to-head through a three-tier Championship series. The qualification events will be held throughout September to determine the quickest 40 drivers. These competitors will progress to the live semi-final stage, hosted at London’s Gfinity Arena on October 10th and 11th. The top 20 will move on to the Esports Finals at the Yas Marina Complex as part of the 2017 Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on November 24th and 25th.

The first virtual Formula 1 Esports World Champion will be crowned on the same weekend as the final 2017 Formula 1 Grand Prix. Additionally, the Finals victor will become the 2018 Formula 1 Esports Champion Expert, automatically qualifying for the semi-finals of next year’s Formula 1 Esports Series. He/she will also become a character in the F1 2018 game: a timeless reminder of his or her accomplishment.