World Cup winner Stokes to take on five Formula 1 stars in next F1 esports event

Ferrari star Charles Leclerc is one of five Formula 1 drivers who will be taking part in this weekend's second round of the F1 Esports Virtual Grand Prix.

The initial event in March, that utilised the Bahrain International Circuit, only managed to attract McLaren's Lando Norris and Williams rookie Nicolas Latifi.

But for this Sunday's event around Melbourne's Albert Park, Norris and Latifi will now be joined by Leclerc, Red Bull's Alex Albon and Williams' George Russell.

Via his Twitter feed, Leclerc said: "First race of the year coming up this weekend! I will my first ever Virtual Race this weekend organised by @F1, and I like this lineup."

Former F1 racer Johnny Herbert will again take part after finishing 13th in the Bahrain event, while England cricketer Ben Stokes is among the celebrities due to compete.

First Race of the year coming up this week-end ! I will do my first ever Virtual Race this week-end organised by @F1, and I like this line up 😘 @arthur_leclerc7 pic.twitter.com/6r5Fenzyil

— Charles Leclerc (@Charles_Leclerc) April 2, 2020

This weekend should have featured the Vietnamese Grand Prix but as the circuit is not available on the 2019 official F1 video game, organisers have opted to turn to Melbourne.

Julian Tan, head of F1's digital business initiatives and esports said: “Following the massive success of the F1 Esports Virtual Bahrain Grand Prix, we are thrilled to be able to come back online again this weekend to provide fans with some racing action.

"A star-studded grid is shaping up with our F1 stars - past, present and future - as well as huge names in sports and entertainment.

"We look forward to providing some light relief through esports as we all navigate through these difficult times together, where our fans can engage with our sport in a different but familiar way.

Following an initial qualifying period, the race is scheduled for 28 laps. Due to the wide variety of gaming skill levels amongst the drivers, game settings will be configured in such a way to encourage competitive and entertaining racing.

This will include running equal car performance with fixed setups, reduced vehicle damage, and optional anti-lock brakes and traction control for those less familiar with the game.

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