London-based tournament organiser Gfinity and Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management have entered a five-year deal to create a simulation racing championship.
The Esports Racing Championship (ERC) will be jointly owned by the two parties and is said to feature a “unique format” that hasn’t been used in sim racing to date.
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The new racing series will feature two seasons taking place in each calendar year, with the inaugural season beginning this year at a date that has yet to be revealed.
Al Tareq Al Ameri, CEO of Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management, commented on the partnership in a release: “ADMM has a strategic focus to develop and invest in premium racing ventures and virtual racing is an important pillar in this vision. The Esports Racing Championship will welcome the very best teams and drivers from around the world to compete on a global stage at the highest level.
“Gfinity is the right partner for this championship with a shared passion and vision and has proven experience of executing world class esports programmes. We look forward to sharing more information about this and other esports initiatives that ADMM and Gfinity will be creating together.”
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In recent years, Gfinity has established itself as a reputable provider of sim racing events, having hosted the F1 Esports Series since its inception in 2018 and the Forza Racing Championship. Just last month, the tournament organiser extended its deal with Formula 1 to last through 2022.
John Clarke, CEO of Gfinity, added: “Motorsports is a key pillar of our strategy and we are excited to be entering into a long-term partnership with Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management. We have a shared passion for the Esports Racing Championship and a desire to build a product that will sit alongside the biggest brands in motorsport. There are millions of gamers that love racing.
“We have created a format that will excite and draw them into the ERC, giving sponsors and advertisers the opportunity to engage with this typically hard to reach audience.”
Esports Insider says: Gfinity has a proven track record when it comes to hosting sim racing tournaments so ADMM’s decision to partner with the company comes as no huge surprise. It’ll certainly be interesting to see what the new format entails and how it differs from a typical sim race.
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