Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has been named the winner of his first esports match this Sunday, after successfully bringing home first place in a virtual Vietnam Grand Prix.
World Cup-winning cricketer Ben Stokes came in last place.
The race lasted 28 laps, and was the second in the Formula One-organised series to provide some entertainment for the millions of fans currently self-isolating around the world.
The virtual rae saw 20 drivers join remotely from their homes, however the race was held in a virtual version of Melbourne’s Albert Park (due to the fact that the Vietnam circuit has yet to land on the Formula One video game”.
“It was unbelievably hard,” said Leclerc, who led from start to finish.
Danish Renault junior driver Christian Lundgaard came in second, while Williams F1 driver George Russell came in third.
Jenson Button – retired 2009 world champion – came in 11th place.
The next virtual race is the Chinese Grand Prix, to be held on April 19.
While these virtual races are a placeholder during the coronavirus lockdown, the Formula One is hiping to resume racing on a reduced 15/18 round calendar. It is hoping to resume races from the summer.
The Formula One isn’t the only real-world sporting event to embrace the world of e-sports. Hit this link to see how other sports such as boxing and football are embracing self-isolation entertainment.
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