Formula E reveals new esports competition in partnership with UNICEF as first major fundraising initiative
– As part of its partnership with UNICEF, Formula E launches a new esports competition to raise funds that will go towards the global coronavirus appeal
– Two grids, one featuring all the teams and drivers from the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, and another with a selection of the fastest gamers, will compete in a ‘race royale’ style format from the safety of their own homes
– Nine-week programme to be showcased live across Formula E digital assets, social and gaming platforms including Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, as well as Formula E broadcast partners
– Formula E to blend the real and gaming worlds with the winning gamer securing real-life track time on a Formula E circuit during a race weekend
LONDON, UK (April 15, 2020) – Formula E has today launched the first major fundraising initiative of its partnership with UNICEF: the ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge, a nine-week ‘race royale’ style esports competition featuring all the teams and drivers from the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, as well as a selection of top gamers. The competition will raise funds for UNICEF and increase awareness of the global coronavirus appeal.
The world of gaming will allow the entire ABB FIA Formula E Championship community of teams, manufacturers, partners, drivers and fans to be a part of live online races while raising funds for UNICEF to keep children around the world healthy, safe and learning during the coronavirus crisis.
Donations from the competition will be directed by UNICEF to comprehensive emergency projects around the world, such as those contributing to the supply of personal protective equipment for healthcare workers and setting up home learning schemes for children currently out of school.
The ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge will feature two separate grids running in parallel, one comprised of drivers from the ABB FIA Formula E Championship and the other one filled by some of the fastest gamers and influencers. The winning gamer will make the transition from the gaming world to secure real-life track time on a Formula E circuit during a race weekend.
Drivers and gamers will compete using rFactor 2 simulator software in a number of online events taking place over a nine-week period from the safety of their own homes.
Races will be staged each Saturday beginning with a pre-season test event on April 18, before point scoring commences the following weekend. Points are then accumulated over consecutive race weekends contributing to the overall standings in the build-up to the Grand Final on June 13.
HOW IT WORKS
The ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge will take place every Saturday for nine consecutive weekends, starting with a non-point scoring pre-season test event on April 18.
The remaining eight events will follow the traditional scoring system with extra points for Julius Baer pole position and fastest lap. Double points will also be on offer at the final race.
Gamers will need to qualify ahead of each round and set a time using highly reputable rFactor 2 simulation software, which includes the latest generation Formula E car, up-to-date liveries of all the teams and iconic streets tracks such as Hong Kong and Monaco.
The quickest 18 drivers over the course of the set qualifying window, which runs from Monday to Thursday every week, will automatically progress to the main event and be joined by a selection of influencers and familiar faces from the world of motorsport.
The ABB FIA Formula E Championship drivers will also race against one another remotely using the same software, in a simulator provided by Playseat®, wheels and pedals from Fanatec and the latest gaming PCs, monitors, headphones and other peripherals by Asus.
Each driver and gamer will be under extreme pressure to deliver when it counts with a one-lap qualifying system to determine the order of the grid. The online events will use a race royale format that is specific to gaming, where the last-placed driver at the end of each lap is eliminated.
The process of elimination will continue until only 10 drivers remain, leaving a single lap sprint to the finish line to decide the points-scoring positions.
Both drivers and gamers will carry over their points to the following weekend, with the top-three sim racers automatically qualifying for the next event.
WHERE TO WATCH
Fans will be able to watch two live races each weekend, as the ABB FIA Formula E Championship drivers and gamers line-up separately during a single 90-minute broadcast.
The ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge will be available live globally across Formula E’s social media platforms including on the official YouTube channel, Facebook page and Facebook Gaming site, Twitch channel and via @FIAFormulaE on Twitter.
Formula E will also be streaming all the races live on www.FIAFormulaE.com. Teams, drivers and championship partners will also be able to embed live coverage across their own digital and social platforms, as will production partner Motorsport Games at www.motorsportgames.com.
Further to this, a selection of Formula E’s international network of broadcast partners will also be offering live coverage and highlights on both linear and digital platforms from April 25.
Make sure you don’t miss out and add the events to your calendar by clicking here.
World feed commentator Jack Nicholls, Formula E pitlane reporter Nicki Shields and three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti will form part of a fully remote presentation team. They will be adhering to social distancing measures from their own homes, while keeping fans informed and calling the action as they see it.
To learn more about the UNICEF partnership, visit www.FIAFormulaE.com/UNICEF or click here to make a donation to the global coronavirus appeal.
Chief Executive Officer of Formula E
Jamie Reigle
“We are excited to reveal the first major fundraising initiative of our partnership with UNICEF to support the global coronavirus appeal. Formula E is a platform with a purpose to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and combat climate change, therefore we are proud to race for a meaningful cause in gaming realm with the current health crisis in mind. The ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge is a powerful sporting manifestation of the UNICEF partnership, supporting our fundraising efforts across the entire Formula E community, offering our fans engaging new content and viewing experiences and getting our teams, drivers and partners back to racing.”
Jamie Reigle
“We are excited to reveal the first major fundraising initiative of our partnership with UNICEF to support the global coronavirus appeal. Formula E is a platform with a purpose to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and combat climate change, therefore we are proud to race for a meaningful cause in gaming realm with the current health crisis in mind. The ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge is a powerful sporting manifestation of the UNICEF partnership, supporting our fundraising efforts across the entire Formula E community, offering our fans engaging new content and viewing experiences and getting our teams, drivers and partners back to racing.”
DS TECHEETAH driver
Antonio Felix da Costa
“I think this is a fantastic initiative by Formula E to add another esports element to the championship and provide the opportunity of a lifetime for one gamer to get behind the wheel of a real race car. Motor racing is actually one of only a few sports with transferrable skills across both the real and gaming world. So, it will be interesting to see how we get acclimatised to the conditions. As a driver, naturally we miss racing and I cannot wait to get back on track in a Formula E car. It is also nice to be racing for a good cause and I hope fans will enjoy watching the events from home.”
About the ABB FIA Formula E Championship:
Electric is 45-minutes of non-stop action. The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is the closest and most competitive category in motorsport, with unpredictable and exciting electric racing in the centre of the world’s most iconic cities. Formula E is the fastest-growing series in motorsport and boasts the best roster in racing, where renowned road car manufacturers and automotive brands battle for points, position and bragging rights.
Electric is a race that matters. Formula E is more than just a race on the track, it is also a proving ground and platform with a higher purpose – to test new technologies, drive development to the production line and put more electric cars on the road.
Using the spectacle of sport, the ABB FIA Formula E Championship is sending a powerful message to speed-up the switch to electric, in a bid to counteract climate change and address the devastating effects of air pollution. www.FIAFormulaE.com
About ABB:
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a technology leader that is driving the digital transformation of industries. With a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB has four customer-focused, globally leading businesses: Electrification, Industrial Automation, Motion, and Robotics & Discrete Automation, supported by the ABB Ability™ digital platform. ABB’s Power Grids business will be divested to Hitachi in 2020. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 147,000 employees. www.abb.com
About Unicef:
Unicef is the world’s leading organisation for children, promoting the rights and wellbeing of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. www.unicef.org.uk
Sources: Formula E PR
Photo Courtesy of Formula E