F1 to hold virtual Grand Prix races
Formula 1 announced on Friday that it will organize virtual Grand Prix races on the dates when the races that have been canceled or postponed due to the new coronavirus pandemic were supposed to take place.
The first virtual race will take place this Sunday, the day the Bahrain Grand Prix was supposed to be held.
"Each race weekend that was supposed to feature a real Formula 1 Grand Prix that has been postponed will be replaced by a virtual Grand Prix. The initiative is currently scheduled until May," Formula 1 said in a statement.
These races, which will not count towards the World Championship standings, will be held using the official Formula 1 video game. They will allow current drivers to compete "remotely" and also compete against "stars that will be announced at the appropriate time."
The Dutch, Spanish and Monaco Grand Prixs were postponed on Thursday. The first race that remains on the 2020 calendar is Azerbaijan, in early June.
The qualifying sessions and virtual races will be broadcast on the Formula 1 YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels.
This initiative comes after virtual races were organized last weekend by other eSports actors to replace the Australian Grand Prix, which was supposed to open the new Formula 1 season in Melbourne and was postponed at the last minute.