Formula 1's official esports program gave sim racing a global stage, and the 2020 lockdown races showed how big the audience could get. Its biggest effect has been on credibility: F1 drivers race online in public, and car makers now use sim results to scout real drivers. It has not become a mass-audience sport on its own, and there is no public data showing it drove hardware sales. Here is the record.
A short history
The first Formula One Esports Series was announced in August 2017, official F1 teams fielded their own esports squads from 2018, and the championship was renamed F1 Sim Racing for the 2023–24 season, according to its Wikipedia entry. The series is raced on the official F1 video game.
The moment it went mainstream: 2020
When real racing stopped in spring 2020, F1 ran a series of Virtual Grands Prix. Formula 1 reported 30 million views across TV and digital platforms, including 21.8 million on its digital channels, and said 11 current F1 drivers raced in at least one event. For many people, that was the first time they watched a sim race at all.
Real drivers, real sim careers
F1 drivers' interest in sim racing predates the lockdown. Max Verstappen joined the sim team Team Redline in 2015, saying he enjoyed sim racing outside Formula 1, as iRacing announced at the time. In July 2019, Verstappen and Lando Norris shared a winning Team Redline car with two esports drivers in a virtual 24-hour race at Spa on iRacing, winning by 27.8 seconds after 622 laps, according to Motor Sport Magazine.
That matters for credibility. When people who drive the real cars treat simulators as serious practice, the public stops seeing sim racing as "just a game."
From screen to track
The clearest proof that sim skill can transfer came before F1's esports series existed. Jann Mardenborough won Nissan's GT Academy in 2011 and two years later finished third in the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a result confirmed after an appeal, as Motorsport.com reported. Today, programs like the Porsche Esports Supercup build that path in on purpose: the 2026 season ends with a talent shoot-out and support for one driver to enter a Porsche one-make cup.
Where F1's esports program has fallen short
An honest picture includes the problems. In April 2026, The Race argued that F1 Sim Racing has become a missed opportunity. It pointed to an 18-car grid after two teams stepped back, little promotion from F1's own channels, and reduced-damage settings that allow unrealistic contact. The same piece reported the series averaging over 205,000 views per event, well ahead of eNASCAR at about 11,000. That is a solid niche audience, not a mainstream one.
The bigger driver: Formula 1 itself
In the United States, interest in F1 grew sharply over the same period. The ESPN Press Room reported an average audience of 1.3 million viewers per race in 2025, a record for its F1 coverage and a 135 percent increase over its 2018 average of 554,000. That growth in real F1 fans is a large part of why a racing simulator now reads as exciting rather than niche at an event. Esports helped, but the real sport did most of the work.
What this means if you are planning an event
- F1 is a hook. Race-weekend parties and F1-themed nights fit naturally. See our F1 Miami page.
- Keep the format simple. Most guests will not be esports regulars. A short time trial or head-to-head race works better than a long race.
- Let spectators follow along. Real esports broadcasts work because viewers can follow the race. A big screen next to the rigs does the same for a room.
Bring F1-style racing to your event
SimsForHire is a Miami company that brings racing simulators to corporate events, private parties and brand activations, and we have worked with clients including Hard Rock Miami at Miami International Autodrome. Our fleet is 10 full-motion rigs built on SIGMA Integrale 2DOF/3DOF motion platforms, which use electric actuators. Full-motion rigs are $2,750 per rig per day, with a $2,000 event minimum — all plus tax and insurance. Delivery is free within 50 miles of Miami; farther out, we quote the delivery fee on request. Call (754) 228-5654, email hello@simsforhire.com, or start a booking. We reply within 24 hours.