The 2021 Formula 1 season has already seen plenty of amazing action. Now the esports side of the F1 world gets going, with the Pro Exhibition officially kicking off the 2021 campaign for F1 Esports.
Broadcast from the Gfinity Arena in London, the Pro Exhibition will put 30 hopefuls through their paces in front of the 10 F1 Esports teams as the final decisions are made on driver lineups for the 2021 season.
Record-breaking numbers
With more ways than ever to qualify, the number of participants was off the charts in 2021.
More than 494,000 players across Xbox, PlayStation, and PC attempted to qualify for this year's F1 Esports Series, dubbed the "Pro Championship".
With the F1 Esports Series Challengers, DHL Time Trial, the China Championship, and of course the innovative Women's Wildcard all offering pathways to this moment, F1 Esports truly opened the doors to all in 2021.
The Pro Exhibition will put the 30 drivers through a series of in-game assessments, testing their abilities like never before.
2019 F1 Esports champion David Tonizza walked a similar path, going from draftee to champion with FDA Hublot in his first season in the series. Could a future champion be on the track in the Pro Exhibition?
How to watch Pro Exhibition
The Pro Exhibition will take place on Thursday, 27 May from the Gfinity Arena in London.
Hosted by F1 Esports regulars Tom Deacon, Matt Gallagher, and Nic Hamilton, viewers will be able to tune in at 7pm BST on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, and Huya channels.
Julian Tan, Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports at Formula 1, said:
“We’re delighted to see so many people enjoying and engaging with the F1 game, as The F1 Esports Series continues to shatter records, with nearly half a million qualifiers for this year’s campaign. We can’t wait to see the talent on show in the Pro Exhibition and look forward to the Pro Championship later in the year, which could be the most exciting yet! As ever, we are thankful for the continued support from our partners Aramco, DHL and Fanatec as we strive to make the F1 Esports Series bigger and better every year.”