Two-time Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso has announced the launch of his own eSports racing team. The team, which will be known as FA Racing G2 Logitech, will compete in a range of online racing championships; primarily based on Formula One gaming titles.
Alonso formed the eSports team in partnership with McLaren sponsors Logitech G and G2 Esports; a Spanish organisation that has become giants in the eSports industry through fielding teams in competitive competitions for titles such as League of Legends, Counter-Strike and more.
“Every Formula 1 driver is a gamer at heart,” said Fernando Alonso in the announcement on the FA Racing G2 website. “Competing on the virtual stage opens a vast amount of possibilities for young drivers that wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to get into racing. For the first time ever, fans are no longer just spectators but can take part in the game and maybe become real e-drivers on my team. I cannot think of better partners than G2 Esports and Logitech G to start this up with and I am raring to get going!”
Alonso also stated that there would be a chance for fans to potentially join the team in the future, adding: “The fans will be a key role in my world and they will drive for my team maybe one day.” He went on the explain that they planned for fans to be able to compete against FA Racing G2’s drivers, as well as himself, in monthly competitions.
With G2 Esports involved, who have a long history of competing at a high level across a wide range of well-known games, it is expected that FA Racing G2 will compete in events for titles such as Codemasters’ F1 games – the platform that the official F1 eSports championship has been held on – as well as RFactor and iRacing. Events such as the F1 eSports championship, McLaren’s World’s Fastest Gamer as well as many other high-profile and broadcasted sim-racing championships over the years have boosted the popularity of sim racing in the eSports community to a point where more and more real-world teams and drivers are entering the fray:
“Combining my two early passions for esports and motorsport to create an elite team headed by a two-time Formula One World Champion and living legend is a childhood dream for me,” said G2 Esports CEO Carlos ‘ocelote’ Rodriguez, “This partnership brings the competitive part of racing to a new level and I am proud to lead the efforts in such good company.”
“I was shocked – in a good way – when I found out the participation numbers and the online viewership of esports competitions. It’s massive, so me and my crew have to be there, doing our best to be a lighthouse to connect our two fantastic worlds… traditional motorsport fans and the new generations that develop their skills every day in sim racing.”
You can view the video presentation for FA Racing G2 below, courtesy of G2 Esports on YouTube:
