The rise of e-sports in Formula 1
A lot of people don’t like it, but a lot of people do
For most die hard sports fans, the part that involves you moving is what determines it being a sport. The lack of that means online e-sports have never really been considered a professional sport. However, all of that is changing. Despite some people having a large hatred towards the new idea, it’s happening.

Recently Formula 1 has announced they will be forming a professional e-racing series. The series will be called ‘Formula 1 Esports Series’, it is made up of gamers from around the world and begins in September. The series is based on a partnership with Codemasters and Gfinity, both of which have a large footprint in the gaming world.
In the world of Formula 1, most classic fans will be disgusted by the thought of this. But this opens up so many new opportunities for the sport. It is one step closer to the truly modern age Formula 1 should be in. Obviously the real life racing couldn’t get more modern but when it comes to the extra curricular’s…it’s a little dull. Formula 1 has an Instagram page which is great and an ever improving YouTube channel but this is a whole new ball game. This will give everyday fans the ability to really compete for something, not everyone can just hop into a car and race.

This is just the beginning for Formula 1 but when analyzing other professional e-sports, things look promising. League of legends, Call of Duty, EA Sports, all of these are just a few examples of successful opportunities. Along with the benefits for fans, sponsorship opportunities will be great especially when sponsor dollars are an issue in real life racing.
The jury is still out on whether or not this will actually become successful, but chances are it will get a good amount of traction. Hopefully it can run smoothly and provide young fans with a great interactive experience.

