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THE F1 ESPORTS SERIES PRO CHAMPIONSHIP IS BACK!

Published

3 years ago

September 16, 2022

Reading Time: 4 minutes

2022 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco returns with more live shows than ever before.

The 2022 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco returns on Wednesday 14th September in a new three day-per-Event format with an increased offering of live shows. This year’s schedule of Events and full driver line-ups have been announced, as teams prepare to battle it out once again for a piece of the huge $750,000 prize pot.

This year, drivers will compete in four Events that will each feature three days of racing action, with qualifying and the race of each Round taking place on its own day. Both qualifying and the race for Round 1 at the Sakhir International Circuit, will take place on Wednesday 14th September, before Round 2 (Imola) and Round 3 (Silverstone) will take place on the Thursday and Friday respectively. Each qualifying session will be live from 15:30 BST on the official Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Huya, with the race be broadcast live from 19:30 BST on the same platforms, plus Facebook. All the race streams will also be broadcast with select TV broadcasters too, including Sky Sports F1, Viaplay and ESPN. Production will again come live from the Gfinity Arena in London, but drivers will continue to race from team Esports facilities or factories, or their own homes, and will compete on the official F1® 22 video game, developed by EA and Codemasters.

Last year’s series exceeded expectations and shattered records last year reaching over 23 million views across all digital platforms, representing a 103% year-on-year increase; the Grand Final alone saw 4.5m fans tune in to watch – a 67% YoY increase. The competition’s impressive appeal is undeniable as over 1.3 million people attempted to qualify for this year’s championship, almost three times as many as last year.

For their third consecutive year, Aramco return as the presenting partner of the Pro Championship alongside long-term partners DHL and Fanatec, who continue to play a fundamental role in the F1 Esports Series, with the latter again supplying hardware to all drivers for this year’s campaign, as it has done since 2018.

HUGE MOVES ACROSS THE GRID

Since last year’s Championship, there have been several high-profile moves across the grid, including Lucas Blakeley, who was third in last year’s competition, moving from Aston Martin to McLaren Shadow, Manuel Biancolilla’s return after a year out to join Aston Martin, and Filip Prešnajder’s move from Alfa Romeo to Alpine. Reigning back-to-back champion Jarno Opmeer remains at Mercedes, whilst Brendon Leigh stays at Ferrari alongside team-mate Davide Tonizza. Red Bull have retained all their drivers, including the formidable pairing of Marcel Kiefer and Frede Rasmussen.

This new season brings plenty of new talent to the grid as Alpine sign Briton Luke Smith who finished second in the 2022 Pro Exhibition, while Aston Martin bring in Pro-Exhibition semi-finalist Josh Evans, and Haas sign the 2022 Pro Exhibition champion, Thomas Ronhaar.

2022 CALENDAR ANNOUNCED

This year’s campaign will begin on Wednesday 14th September, as drivers replicate the 2022 FIA Formula One World Championship by starting off at the Bahrain International Circuit, before taking to the iconic circuits of Imola and Silverstone.
While most of the selected venues remain the same as last year, Suzuka joins this year’s calendar, as F1 looks forward to returning to Japan, and the season finale will take place at another new addition to this year’s schedule, as competitors battle it out for the title at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, mirroring the real-life Formula 1 championship.

Brandon Snow, Managing Director – Commercial at Formula 1®, said:
“We’re very excited about the new season of the F1 Esports Series Pro Championship and its growing success, and with so many promising big moves and intriguing driver shifts on the grid, we can’t wait to kick off the season and get racing. As always, we want to thank our partners Aramco, DHL and Fanatec for their continued support which enables us to bring elite sim-racing to an increasing number of fans around the world.”

Paul Jeal, F1 Senior Franchise Director at Codemasters, said:
“The new era of F1 has delivered incredible drama, and it’s time for the best esports drivers to take their seats in a fresh format for a piece of the £750,000 prize pot. With up-and-coming talent facing off with established pros, this season could be the most unpredictable yet, and we can’t wait for lights out.”

John Clarke, CEO at Gfinity, said:
“The F1 Esports Pro Championship continues to go from strength to strength. Last year’s viewing numbers more than doubled, which resulted in a record 1.3million drivers taking part in the battle for a place on one of the F1 teams’ rosters. That number has now been whittled down to the top 30 drivers who are primed to come together and test their skills on twelve iconic Formula 1 circuits. This year’s event promises to be the biggest and best yet and we can’t wait to bring the racing live to the world from the home of F1 Esports, the Gfinity Arena.”

Latest News

Former Entain exec Jez White joins BetComply

Published

17 minutes ago

March 18, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

BetComply, iGaming’s most trusted technical and regulatory compliance firm, has hired the former Entain executive Jez White in a new role overseeing safer gambling and sustainability.

White joins BetComply as the firm’s first Safer Gambling & Sustainability Specialist, following more than eight years at Entain, where he served as Director of Player Protection Systems and Analytics. His expertise across responsible gaming, risk management, and player protection technology has been instrumental in shaping industry standards.

In his new position, White will design and implement safer gambling strategies, audit existing safer gambling models and design CRM strategies for BetComply clients.

Daniel Brookes, CEO of BetComply said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Jez, who has been at the very cutting edge of regulated online gaming for many years now. Few, if any, can match his level of expertise, and this is a major coup for BetComply and our partners. His insights and experience will be invaluable as we continue to set new benchmarks in compliance and sustainability.”

Jez White, Safer Gambling & Sustainability Specialist at BetComply, added: “I’m incredibly proud of the advancements made in player protection during my eight years at Entain, and I’m now excited to join BetComply. They have very quickly emerged as the leading compliance firm in our industry, and I’ll be contributing to their vision of creating a safer and more sustainable gaming sector.”

While at Entain, White led the implementation of an industry-leading safe gambling strategy that incorporated pattern recognition models and real-time interaction technology.

BetComply has been expanding its senior team over recent weeks. In February, Paola Menchem was brought in to lead its legal and regulatory compliance services.

The post Former Entain exec Jez White joins BetComply appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

Darts Player Prakash Jiwa Gets Eight-year Ban for Match Fixing

Published

17 minutes ago

March 18, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Darts player Prakash Jiwa has been banned from all Darts Regulation Authority (DRA) events for eight years after being found guilty of match-fixing and betting on darts.

The UK Gambling Commission’s Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) supported the investigation by facilitating information gathered in the course of its enquiries.

Following a hearing before the DRA Disciplinary Committee on 21 January 2025, Jiwa was found guilty of fixing four matches and betting on darts. He was found not guilty of obstructing the enquiry.

The Committee has suspended him from playing in or being involved in any DRA-regulated events until 6 November 2031, provided he pays costs of £17,741.46 in full.

There is no suggestion that the other players in these matches were involved.

John Pierce, Commission Director of Enforcement, said: “All betting customers in Britain should have confidence that bets placed with licensed gambling businesses are on markets that are fair and free from betting-related corruption.

“Our Sports Betting Intelligence Unit works closely with partners such as the Darts Regulation Authority to support sporting integrity investigations and combat match-fixing. This decision sends a clear message that betting-related corruption in sport will not be tolerated.”

The post Darts Player Prakash Jiwa Gets Eight-year Ban for Match Fixing appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Latest News

HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League: 6 Spots for Esports World Cup Up for Grabs in Teamfight Tactics Tournament

Published

17 minutes ago

March 18, 2025

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League (ACL), Asia’s premier multi-title esports tournament hosted by Asia’s leading Esports company Hero Esports, has announced that a total of six spots for the Esports World Cup are up for grabs in ACL Teamfight Tactics Tournament. Details regarding the tournament format, schedule and prize pool have also been unveiled.

The ACL Teamfight Tactics Tournament is set to commence on April 15 and will conclude on May 18. The total prize pool for the tournament amounts to $150,000, with six teams earning direct entry to the Esports World Cup.

Unlike previous Teamfight Tactics events, the ACL Teamfight Tactics Tournament features a 4V4 team battle format. This emphasis on teamwork will offer the audience a fresh and engaging viewing experience.

The ACL Teamfight Tactics Tournament is structured into three stages: Regional Qualifiers, Asian Challenge and ACL Grand Finals.

Registration for the tournament will open on March 23 and close on March 31. Teams must register in groups of four players. The Regional Qualifiers will be divided into APAC and CN regions. The eight highest-ranking teams from the APAC region and the seven highest-ranking teams from the CN region will qualify for the Regional Qualifiers. Team rankings are determined by the total points accumulated by the top three players in each team at the registration deadline. These points are calculated based on performance in the TFT Open, Tactician’s Crown and Regional Finals over the latest three seasons.

In the Regional Qualifiers, four teams from each region (APAC and CN region) will advance to the Asian Challenge through online competitions. The APAC Qualifier will take place from April 15 to 18, whereas the CN Qualifier is scheduled from April 24 to 27. Additionally, the top three teams from each region will secure spots in the Esports World Cup, while the fourth and fifth teams from each region will qualify for the Last Chance Qualifier of EWC.

In the Asian Challenge, which will take place from May 8 to 11, a total of eight teams from the Regional Qualifiers will compete for three spots in the Finals.

The post HERO ESPORTS Asian Champions League: 6 Spots for Esports World Cup Up for Grabs in Teamfight Tactics Tournament appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.