After a lengthy delay, the premier class of F1 Esports is set to return with the confirmation of the 2024 calendar and two LAN events.
Source: Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team
After months of silence, F1 Sim Racing has confirmed its return, with the remaining 11 races of the 2023/24 season set to be ran in two upcoming multi-day LAN events.
These LAN events will both be held in a live studio environment in Stockholm, Sweden, with Event 2 from April 10-12, and the third and final event from May 7-9.
The 2023/24 season kicked-off on November 23, 2023 at DreamHack Winter in Stockholm, Sweden, where Thomas Ronhaar took victory for Kick F1 Sim Racing Team.
Source: F1 Esports
Why was there a delay?
There’s been no official word from F1 Sim Racing as to the reasons for the multi-month delay, but it’s believed that disagreements and contractual issues behind the scenes were the cause.
Multiple disputes between F1, ESL and the teams arose, with disagreements on the coverage of travel costs, media personnel attendace, and sponsor requirements.
Alex Gillion has published a fantastic video detailing all the causes and controversies, which you can watch here.
What does this mean for the future of F1 Sim Racing?
With any luck, the confirmation of the season’s resumption means that the parties involved have been able to come to an agreement, and we can see a return to regular F1 esports competition once again.
Whatever your thoughts on the F1 games being top-level esports titles, F1 Esports has long been one of the flagbearers for virtual racing competition, capturing the lion’s share of attention and mainstream appeal.
With sim racing at large in the middle of a boom period, we hope the return of F1 Sim Racing marks a new era for F1 esports, with more exciting on-track action, more memorable moments, and more eyes on sim racing as a whole.
Are you excited for the return of F1 Sim Racing? What do you hope to see with regards to F1 esports in future? Let us know in the comments below.
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