Just like Lewis Hamilton is looking to dominate Formula One racing this season, it looks like there is another top-class British driver who will be hoping to succeed in the video gaming version of the motor sport. Brendon Leigh managed to win the first two seasons of the Formula One Esports Series, and with the third season just getting started, the 19-year old British gamer looks good to make it his third successive title.
Leigh drives with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas esports team, and last year we saw him picking up the title at the Circuit of the Americas in the USA. This year the qualifying rounds kicked off on 8 April with three stages of qualification taking place in China, Baku and Catalonia.
With many thousands of eager gamers hoping to make the race-off on 27 May, it’s far too early to predict how things could turn out. But we will know a little more when the pro draft takes place on 17 July, and then the main Pro Series will be carried out with a variety of live shows that run from September to December 2019.
Last year the Mercedes team managed to dominate the constructors’ tournament with their 382 points outstripping their nearest rivals, Toro Rosso, who could only manage 210 points. Whilst Ferrari were noticeably absent from the 2018 Formula 1 Esports Series, there were plenty of decent showings from the likes of Red Bull, Sauber, McLaren, Williams, Haas and Renault.
So what is it about Brendon Leigh that makes him such a phenomenal esports driver? The British gamer started competing on the F1 2012 game and has maintained an impressive practice rate of 30 to 40 hours each week. His aggressive driving style made him a strong choice for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports team who snapped him up to drive full-time for the competitive gaming organization.
With specialist equipment like his Fanatec pedal set and wheels, and preferred cars like the 2017 Mercedes W08 EQ Power+, Leigh has managed to show other gamers how seriously to take technology in the Formula 1 Esports Series.
Leigh first shot to fame in the 2017 Formula 1 Esports Series where he managed to beat 66,000 other entrants to claim the title. What was truly impressive was the way that the young gamer built on this success to get the 2018 title and become the first true superstar of the Formula 1 esports game.
Such strong performances have helped the Formula 1 Esports Series become a real contender in the competitive gaming realm. For many years, it has been first-person shooters and battle arena titles that dominated esports. Such is the success of games like League of Legends and Counter Strike Global Offensive that there have even been specialist esports betting resources like counterstrikebetting.com set up to allow fans to wager on the outcome of the games just as they would bet on a traditional sporting event.
Unfortunately many of these standard esports have proven to be off-putting for most sports fans. But recently we have seen many traditional sports embracing the competitive gaming phenomenon as a way of attracting younger new audiences.
From the eNASCAR Heat Pro League to the Formula 1 Esports Series, it seems that it is racing simulators that are particularly well-suited to competitive gaming. And with rising stars like Brendon Leigh on hand to provide a masterclass in how to race in the digital world, it seems like the Formula 1 Esports Series is only going to attract more fans.
