Charles Leclerc Joins 4 Other Drivers for the F1 Virtual Grand Prix Series

It looks like F1 will go racing in Albert Park after all! not through an actual race but a Virtual Grand Prix. After the success of the First instalment, F1 has announced an impressive driver line up for the second Virtual Grand Prix. Most notably, Charles Leclerc will compete in his first Esports event this Sunday.

Charles Leclerc joins Virtual Gp Series

The inaugural race only had 2 current drivers participating but that number has shot up to 5 for the upcoming race. Joining Charles Leclerc are Alex Albon, George Russell and returning drivers – Lando Norris and Nicholas Latifi.

Charles Leclerc joining the Esports event is a genuine surprise, considering the Monegasque hasn’t shown any inclination towards sim racing or the event in general. However, it’ll be interesting to see how the 22-year-old fares against a mix of competitors from varying fields.

Alex Albon and George Russel – last year’s F1 rookies will join the Monegasque as they debut in the world of Esports. Russell has revealed that he isn’t a big fan of the simulator but this could be a golden opportunity to finally score some virtual points in F1.

Lando Norris was the star of the previous Virtual Grand Prix. The Briton made the event thoroughly enjoyable thanks to his banter and prank calls. However, he hasn’t had the best of luck when it comes to F1 2019.

Norris’ game has crashed or disconnected on multiple occasions. At the Bahrain race, Norris couldn’t participate for the majority of the event due to his game crashing. Despite the setback, Norris put up an amazing fightback on rejoining the event. The Briton went to wheel to wheel with experienced sim racer Jimmy Broadbent in a nail-biting race finish.

Fingers crossed Lando’s game actually works this time.

Other notable participants include English cricketer Ben Stokes. It’ll be fascinating to see how Stokes fares on a racetrack when compared to a cricket pitch.

As F1 2019 lacks the Hanoi racetrack, F1 will go racing around Albert Park Circuit for the Australian Grand Prix. The race starts at 1900 GMT and will be a 28 lap race (or 50% race distance).

Can the F1 drivers hold their own or will non-racers reign supreme once again?