14 Jan 2021 3:28 PM +00:00 UTC

F1 Virtual GP: New races announced for 2021 with charity prize pool

2021 is shaping up to be another wild Formula 1 season, but before the drivers jump in their private jets to start the season in Bahrain, the Virtual GP is will return to our screens.

That’s right, after filling in so well at the start of 2020, the Virtual GP makes its return for 2021, and are once again delivered by Gfinity.

F1 Virtual GP dates

Three Virtual GPs have been lined up for fans to enjoy. The first will air on Sunday 31 January, with two more races on 7 February, and 14 February.

Start times are not yet given, but we can assume they will be in the evenings as before.

Format change

The Virtual GP will not follow quite the same format as last year.

A five-lap sprint race featuring pro gamers will be used instead of qualifying to produce the grid.

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The Virtual GP will then take place over a 50% race-distance event where the drivers will be looking to score points.

Points mean prizes

Last year’s Virtual GPs were just for fun, but this year there is something to win!

There is a charity prize fund on the line, which will be split up based on team standings at the end of the series for the teams to distribute to their nominated charities.

Who will be competing?

Last year’s Virtual GPs were dominated by young up-and-coming F1 drivers, with George Russell, Charles Leclerc, Alex Albon, and Lando Norris all getting involved.

We also saw the newest race winners Pierre Gasly and Sergio Perez get involved, along with Antonio Giovinazzi, Valtteri Bottas, Carlos Sainz, Esteban Ocon, and Nicholas Latifi.

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So who will be involved this time? We expect to see some F1 names of past, present, and future in the event, along with some stars from sport, music, and culture.

Last year saw Ben Stokes, Thibaut Courtois, Liam Payne, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang compete, so it could be anyone in 2021!

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Toby Durant

Head of Content

Sim Racer & Football Manager addict

Toby started his career by founding The Pulling Linemen with two former teammates to discuss the NFL through the lens of offensive & defensive line play. He joined RealSport in 2015 and became part of Gfinity in 2018. He has since worked across the network and as Head of Content sits across all of Gfinity's properties.

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