Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari have all turned their focus to the eSports industry.
Formula One teams are leaning on the eSports industry to find the stars of the future.
Some of the best-known teams in Formula One – such as Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari – have all taken a keen interest in eSports in recent years, as they seek to unearth the next Sir Lewis Hamilton or Max Verstappen.
Lindsey Eckhouse, the director of licensing and digital products at McLaren Racing, told the BBC: “The F1 video game is the closest thing you can do to real-life racing without getting behind the wheel of a kart or a car.”
What’s more, Lindsey believe that the real and virtual worlds are now closer together than ever before.
She added: “As we blur those lines further and further, that’s an exciting sort of area, really building up the next generation of talent that comes into the sport.”
eSports has become a huge industry in its own right in recent years.
However, Lucas Blakeley – who is a successful eSports athlete – feels that the traditional route into the world of motor sports is simply too expensive for many people.
Lucas is a long-time fan of Hamilton – but he didn’t see following in his footsteps as a realistic ambition until now.
He said: “That’s the harsh reality for many racing families out there.”
Lucas also claimed that eSport athletes face “immense” pressures, much like the Formula One drivers.
He shared: “Mentally that’s the hardest part, the results in F1 eSports can change in a literal flash of an eye.
“You also learn about yourself. How do you react to pressure? How does your body respond? How does your mind respond?”
Formula One teams look to eSports athletes
