In recent years, eSports has seen a significant growth. Gaming events are being watched by millions of people online, spectators are filling whole stadiums at eSports events and the players turn into stars, comparable to athletes in conventional sports.  At the same time, motorsports and gaming also have a long connection, and racing games have turned into full-blown racing simulations over the years. But when it comes to the eSports aspect, racing simulations have tended to be sidelined so far.

It’s to time to change that! For that reason, the FIA WTCC, Eurosport Events and RaceRoom have teamed up to create the eSports WTCC.

The developers of Sector 3 Studios and RaceRoom Racing Experience have crafted the virtual versions of the WTCC cars to be as close as possible to its real counterparts, with real setup data influencing the process. All cars that are currently active in WTCC are available and ready to be raced, for the quest of finding the best driver.

But what makes the best driver? You could argue that one lap pace is crucial and the fastest driver is the best driver. Other people will say that racecraft and consistency count even more and to be the best, you have to defeat other people in races. And then there is also a group that argues that different equipment distorts the results and the best driver has to be determined when there is a level playing field.

Since valid points can be made for all these arguments, we decided to turn the eSports WTCC into the ultimate challenge where you can prove your skills over one lap as well as in multiplayer races, online and at live events onsite.

First of all, drivers can show how fast they are on the leaderboard competition. Only the fastest lap counts! Leaderboards will be open on ten different tracks, from the ultra-fast Monza Circuit, over the Green Hell, the Nordschleife, up to the ultimate driver challenge on the streets of Macau.

The best 24 drivers will qualify for the online multiplayer races, featuring two 20 minute races per event including a reverse grid start in race 2 for maximum excitement. There are 10 rounds in total, always on a Sunday evening, and all of them will be broadcasted live with professional commentary on the WTCC Youtube channel. At the end of the season, the 2017 WTCC Online Champion will be crowned.

But eSports WTCC also has something to offer for the newcomers. Next to the top division, there will be three further divisions aimed at new and casual drivers. One of the races will even be broadcasted as a support race.

In addition, eSports WTCC and RaceRoom will also be present onsite at four of the official WTCC Events: At Monza, Hungaroring, Nürburgring and Vila Real, there will be hotlap competition open for fans, spectators and interested simracers. At the morning of the race day, a multiplayer race will be hosted with live commentary onsite. Depending on availability, the real WTCC drivers will participate in the event as well.

But that is not all: The highlight of the eSports WTCC is the Finale, which will take place in December. At this event, the drivers will compete on equal terms on RaceRoom’s standardized simulators. The most successful drivers from the Online Multiplayer Championship and the Onsite events will receive tickets, but you can also qualify at the event.

Split into four divisions, you can compete for the title of the 2017 eSports WTCC Champion as well as for cash prizes! Further information on the Finale will be available soon. Hungry for some eSports WTCC racing action? Participating is easy, and it’s free.

Just download RaceRoom Racing Experience for free at game.raceroom.com. Once you are all set up and ready, you can launch the game, start the eSports WTCC competition and prove yourself against some of the best simracers worldwide. The WTCC cars and the current track will also be available for free for the duration of the competition. Or you can sit back and enjoy the live broadcast on the WTCC Youtube channel. The first leaderboard opens on April 9th, while the broadcast of the first online multiplayer race starts on April 23rd, at 17:00 GMT.