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This. Is. Baku! The Virtual Grand Prix series heads to the City of Fire for the next digital race, and there are eight F1 drivers joining the fun once more. Following this week’s announcement that Formula 1 will start the 2020 season on July 3-5 in Austria, the Virtual Grand Prix series will draw to a close with two final events.
This Sunday’s Virtual Azerbaijan Grand Prix (7 June) will see eight current F1 drivers take to the grid, before the series finale in the Virtual Canada Grand Prix the following weekend (14 June). The Virtual Grands Prix Series has seen over 22million fans tune in so far to watch their favourite F1 drivers battle it out, alongside a host of big names from the sporting and celebrity world, in a time where actual racing was not possible.
This weekend will see Sergio Perez and Pierre Gasly make their Esports debuts in the Virtual Azerbaijan Grand Prix as they join six other F1 drivers including Williams’ George Russell, who is attempting to make it a third consecutive win after his victory in Monaco. Fellow F1 drivers Alex Albon, Antonio Giovinazzi, Nicholas Latifi, Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris also return to the grid after previous Virtual Grand Prix appearances.
Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte will be taking to the track for the first time as the Premier League winner teams up with Formula 3 driver Oscar Piastri for Renault, whilst AC Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma joins Pierre Gasly at AlphaTauri. Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois makes his fourth Virtual Grand Prix appearance, continuing his partnership with Antonio Giovinazzi for Alfa Romeo, with Dakar Rally World Champion Matthias Walkner making his debut for Red Bull.
Sunday’s race will fall on the weekend originally scheduled for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix with the participants competing on the Baku City Circuit on F1 2019, the official videogame developed by Codemasters.
As before, the evening of racing will kick off with Formula 2 Virtual Racing, where the stars of the FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3 championships will battle it our around the same track, starting from 15:00 UTC. The F1 Esports Pro Exhibition race comes an hour later, with the Virtual Azerbaijan Grand Prix getting under way from 17:00 UTC.
We’ll be live and streaming on YouTube, Twitch, Facebook, and with selected broadcast partners on TV too. Keep your eyes tuned to social media for more driver announcements as the grid lines up for a high-speed melee in Baku!
