- Formula One constructor Ferrari will participate in the F1 New Balance Esports Series after sitting out the 2018 season.
- Last season, all nine other official F1 teams established esports rosters to compete in the league.
- The 2019 season is longer than last year, and has more than doubled the prize pool at $500K USD.
The F1 New Balance Esports Series has already announced a longer season and larger prize pool for 2019, and now the league has expanded in another way by adding Scuderia Ferrari to the starting grid.
Ferrari was the lone holdout last year when Formula One and Codemasters 
decided to incorporate the official F1 teams into the esports league, as all nine of the other constructors established esports teams for the season. Now the entire pack will participate in the 2019 season.
The F1 New Balance Esports Series 2019 began its expanded online qualifiers in F1 2018 on April 8 across all three platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The top performers on each platform will be invited to the Pro Draft in July, where race-off events will determine the final pool of eligible draftees. Each of the 10 teams must draft at least one driver for its roster.
Related Article: Expanded F1 New Balance Esports Series Has $500K Prize Pool
The season has been expanded to four live events, up from three in 2018, with Gfinity
hosting the competitions between September and December. Additionally, the prize pool has been more than doubled from $200K in 2018 to $500K for 2019. New Balance is back as the title sponsor, while SimRacing brand Fanatec will again provide hardware and DHL will sponsor the Fastest Lap award.
“It’s incredibly exciting to welcome all 10 teams to take part in the 2019 F1 New Balance Esports Series for the first time,” said Formula One’s head of growth and F1 esports Julian Tan, in a release. “Last year saw amazing growth for the series, and with the commitment of Ferrari completing the virtual grid, we continue to elevate the series to greater heights as we further align our virtual and real-world sports, creating one of the world’s most innovative esports offerings whether in motorsports or beyond. As the 10 teams all vie for a cut of the $500K prize fund, this is going to be the biggest season to date.”
