The F1 Esports China Championship is back! The first and only region-specific chapter of the F1 Esports Series has returned for an exciting third season and is brought to life with an extravagant event at the Shanghai Automobile Exhibition Center, Jiading District, Shanghai.
The event brought all 10 teams of the Pro League 2021 together and brought the participants up to date for the 2021 season. With signings, live performances, presentations and much more, the two-day event showed the best digital racing talent and led directly into the first two Competition rounds on May 2nd: Shanghai and Bahrain.
READ MORE: New Tracks, New Modes, and Release Date – Codemasters Announce Key Details for F1 2021
Classic cars adorned the site of the F1 Esports China Championship
Round 1
Familiar faces were in good shape on Sunday, and 2019 master Tang Tianyu prevailed again, winning not only the season’s opening round but a coveted MVP award. Reigning champion Yuan Yifan finished second and showed that the two existing champions have lost none of their speed and continue to set the standard in the championship.
Tang’s team, Boosters’ Triumph, also won the top team trophy in the first round and led the championship after the first two races. However, the other nine teams still have plenty of opportunities to catch up.
READ MORE: Formula 1 announces the women-only qualification route for the F1 Esports Series Pro Championship
2021 Esports China Championship
| Round | date | Circuits |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2.May | China and Bahrain |
| 2 | May 16 | Spain and Monaco |
| 3 | 30th May | Azerbaijan and Canada |
| 4th | June 13th | France and Austria |
| 5 | June 27th | Great Britain and Hungary |
| 6th | July 11th | Belgium and the Netherlands |
| 7th | August 22nd | Italy and Russia |
| 8th | 5th September | Singapore and Japan |
| 9 | September 19th | USA and Mexico City |
| 10 | October 3 | Sao Paulo and Australia |
| 11 | October 17th | Emilia Romagna and Portugal |
| 12th | 21st November | Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi |
In addition to the 24-race calendar (which reflects the 2021 F1 calendar plus China and includes the original Canadian Grand Prix race), teams will have a six-week transfer window halfway through the season.
From July 12th through August 21st, teams will be able to update their roster as they focus on attacking the second half of the season and preparing for the November live final.
READ MORE: Grosjean’s R8G Esports team heads the Haas F1 Esports team for 2021
The calm before the storm at the Shanghai Automobile Exhibition Center
Pro-I format
The 2021 season is divided into amateur and pro classifications. The amateur events consist of four regional events in north, east, south and west of China with qualifying and regional finals for each geolocation. Then the best of the best fight in the Amateur Grand Final, which is held alongside the Pro League Grand Final.
The route to the pro finals is a little different: 10 teams fight in the above 12 rounds, each consisting of two races. All 12 rounds are broadcast on television. The Pro League Grand Final offers the last and most lucrative platform to showcase driving talent.
READ MORE: Haas was crowned Virtual Grand Prix Champion in 2021 when Russell wins the sixth straight race
The top 3 with their trophies at the season opener
Per exhibition
It’s not just China’s pride at stake. The best racers in the Pro League Championship will advance to the F1 Esports Series Pro exhibition in 2022, where they will be made available for selection by the 10 official F1 Esports teams.
In both 2020 and 2021, this was the fate of Tang Tianyu and Yuan Yifan, who were the two best drivers in both competitions last year. Both will be featured in this year’s F1 Esports Series Pro Exhibition, where they will again be put up for selection by the 10 official teams. Tune in on May 27th to see how they’re doing.
Visit the official F1 Esports website for more information.
The post The F1 Esports China Championship returns for 2021 first appeared on monter-une-startup.
