The F1 New Balance Esports Series China Championship, in partnership with Juss Intellisports, is the first regional competition of the series, officially launching on 4 August, 2019 with an opening ceremony at CapitaMall LuOne in the city of Shanghai.
Qualifying phases will then begin across the Eastern, Northern, Southern and Midwestern regions of China. The fastest sim drivers will qualify for the Regional Finals, where the top 100 will progress to the Grand Final later in the year.
For the champion and runner-up, a potentially life-change opportunity awaits in the form of a spot at the 2020 F1 Esports Series Pro Draft – and the chance to compete for a seat with one of the official F1 Esports teams.
The aim of the China Championship is to identify the next wave of Chinese talents in sim racing and develop the passion for racing in China through F1 Esports.
Julian Tan, Head of Growth & Esports, Formula 1: “We are thrilled to be launching the F1 Esports Series China Championship, our first ever regional qualification championship. China is an incredibly important market to Formula 1 and we believe there is massive potential to grow the passion for motorsport and cultivate the love for F1 as a sport in this region through F1 Esports, particularly amongst our next generation of fans.
“We want to engage with them in new and innovative ways and esports is a powerful tool to do that. We cannot wait to meet our first ever Chinese F1 Esports qualifiers and welcome them to our 2020 Pro Draft.”
Olivia Xue, General Manager, Juss Intellisports: “We are extremely proud to partner with Formula 1 to take its Esports Series to China. For the first time in history, racing fans and enthusiasts in China will have the opportunity to take part in this prestigious sport.
“We will witness records to be made and broken and will wish all aspirants great luck. China is the first country or region to participate in F1 Esports Series globally and we are fully confident that the tournament will be a success this year.”