FIA and iRacing to launch F4 Esports Global Championship

Motorsport governing body FIA and sim racing game iRacing have announced the creation of the FIA F4 Esports Global Championship, an all-new esports series that will start in September.

The competition will feature a four-event, eight-round series with a total prize pool of $25,000 (~£19,650).

Drivers will be able to qualify for the FIA F4 Esports Global Championship by taking part in iRacing’s FIA F4 Regional Tour series during 2024 Season 3, which kicks off in mid-June. The best 10 drivers in the standings across each Regional Tour series will then be invited to the Global Championship, which will take place starting from September 14th.

Doubleheader events will take place every two weeks with the first race session starting at 18:30 GMT. The tracks will only be announced 24 hours prior to the race and all drivers will race with fixed setups to ensure an equal playing field. According to the release, races will be broadcast live on iRacing’s social media channels.

The Formula 4-focused relationship between iRacing and the FIA began in March 2023 with both parties aiming to bring a licensed FIA Formula 4 experience to the iRacing platform.

FIA Single-Seater Director, Nikolas Tombazis, commented: “I am delighted that the FIA is again joining forces with iRacing for the next phase of this highly innovative collaboration, taking FIA F4 Esports to a global stage following great success at the regional level.

“This latest step in our strong partnership aligns with our strategy to foster the growth and development of Esports and, in so doing, extend the appeal of our sport to fresh audiences, with the aim of doubling global participation in motorsport.”

Earlier this year, iRacing signed a multi-year licensing agreement with the North American motorsport series IndyCar, marking its return to the simulation platform. Aside from IndyCar, iRacing has many other esports series, including the eNASCAR International Series and the Rallycross World Championship, among others.