F1 virtual champion sheds the kilos ahead of title defence
LONDON: There is no need to ask Formula One’s first virtual world champion Brendon Leigh about the transformative power of esports, you have only to look at him.
“Since last year, I’ve lost over 20kg in weight,” the 19-year-old told Reuters as he geared up to defend his title in the new F1 Esports Pro Series starting at London’s Gfinity Arena on Wednesday.
Last November, the Briton turned up at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix as a podgy kitchen porter who had never driven a car before, or even been abroad.
He emerged as a finger-wagging onl ine equivalent of Lewis Hamilton.
Now part of the Mercedes esports team, making him officially a colleague of his four times world champion compatriot, Leigh has still to take a driving test – although he’s working on it – but is now the man everyone wants to beat.
And he also looks much more like a professional racing driver after working out with experienced F1 trainer Simon Fitchett.
“He ( Fitchett) knows what it takes to be a real Formula One driver and I’m trying to get up to those standards to prove that esports does need physical and mental health to have the ability to drive at that level,” said Leigh.
Part of last year’s winner’s prize was also to be included in the Formula One 2018 game, published by Codemasters, as a ‘driveable character’.
“Anyone can go and drive as me,” said Leigh.
“It’s just amazing when you see the support on Twitter and social media of how people are sending you a tweet or instagram saying they are using you as a character.
“It’s quite a weird thought to have maybe Lewis driving as my character in the F1 game while I’m driving as his ... and when I’ve been playing online against people, they’ve taken me out and then there’s been three Brendons on the podium.”
The new series, which no longer ends in Abu Dhabi, involves a total of 10 races with most broadcast live on Formula One’s official Facebook page and a number of television networks around the world.
Nine of the 10 real Formula One teams, all except Ferrari, are involved.
The other rounds are in London on Oct 31 and Nov 17, with driver and constructor titles awarded and a prize pool of $ 200,000.
Races are preceded by practice and qualifying. The 25 eligible drivers have been whittled down from a field of 66,000 hopefuls who entered online earlier in the year.
Julian Tan, head of growth and F1 esports at Formula One, said the new series built on the momentum of 2017 but was also very different.
“It was very much an individual competition ( last year),” he said.
“This year the series has evolved tremendously and the drivers are no longer just driving for themselves. They are driving for the teams.
“It will be the first time we have a professional championship.” — Reuters