It's finally game on! F1 Sim Racing returns, but do e-sports still have the same impact these days?

There was only a small gap between the first and second events in the calendar (read: almost five months)… finally, the F1 Sim Racing World Championship is back.

After a rocky start to its campaign that saw only one race take place in November 2023, swiftly followed by the sudden cancellation of the second event in December, the entire rest of the season will be played in only a dozen days – across April and May.
 
So, what’s the deal? It’s obvious that the e-sports industry has experienced unprecedent growth in recent years, especially in the US. It transcends competitive gaming and is now a widely recognised sport. 
 
A hub for talent, innovation and indeed, investment, there’s ample opportunity for brands to make their mark in an arena with a burgeoning global audience.
 
Other sports are constantly entering the e-sports scene. Only last week, the America’s Cup – the renowned sailing regatta, and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport – launched their new game, AC Sailing, and simultaneously announced the creation of the America’s Cup E-Series.
 
With news like this, you’d think there must still be some big industry wins on the table. If that’s the case, why is F1 stalling so much? Perhaps the pedigree of motorsport is too lofty for a translation into e-sports. Are die-hard petrol-heads dismissive of this new evolution? Could it be perceived as misaligned to the sport they love so much? Or has Liberty Media simply bitten off more than it can chew?
 
Let’s see how this one ‘plays’ out…