- The F1 New Balance Esports Series returns for its third season this year with a larger $500K USD prize pool.
- The expanded season includes a longer online qualifying period, as well as a fourth live competition later this year.
- Formula One will also hold a China Championship event later this year, with top drivers earning automatic entry into 2020’s Pro Draft.
Formula One esports will return with a longer season and more prize money in play, as Codemasters and F1 announced first details of the next F1 New Balance Esports Series season.
The third season begins on April 8 with a longer online qualifying round in F1 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The top players will be invited to the live Pro Draft in July, where Formula One organizations will select new drivers for their esports teams.
The season will then span four live events—one more than last season—that will be held between September and December, with Gfinity 
again running those competitions. Additionally, the season prize pool has been raised to $500K, a significant increase over last season’s $200K offering.
“Last season was a decisive year for F1 esports with the inclusion of the first official teams and record audience figures,” said Sean Bratches, managing director of commercial operations at Formula One. “As we move into this 2019 season, F1 will remain at the forefront of this explosive industry. The potential within this space is extremely exciting both as a commercial opportunity, but importantly, as a way for the sport to engage with the next generation of motorsport fans.
“We are committed to exponential growth in the world of esports, and as a result the 2019 season is going to be even bigger and better,” he continued. “Having more than doubled the prize fund, we plan to attract even more talent to the series and to continue the upward trajectory we are on.”
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New Balance will return as the title sponsor, with drivers wearing the brand’s shoes and socks while competing. SimRacing equipment manufacturer Fanatec will again provide hardware, while DHL will once more award a prize to the Fastest Lap winner.
Additionally, F1 and Codemasters also announced the F1 New Balance Esports Series – China Championship. This new event will launch in late summer this year, but F1 will hold a special warm-up exhibition event at this month’s Formula One Heineken Chinese Grand Prix 2019. Top players from the China Championship event will be automatically entered into 2020’s Pro Draft event for the following F1 esports season.
The event will be held in partnership with Juss Intellisport Co. Ltd, which is part of a Chinese state-owned enterprise called Shanghai Jiushi Group. That group owns the Shanghai International Circuit where this month’s F1 race is being held, and has a Juss Events subsidiary that runs that race. Essentially, the state is running both the F1 race and F1 esports endeavors in China.
