F1 Esports finalist Igor Fraga becomes first sim racer to join F3 grid

For the first time an F1 Esports competitor will feature on track in a Formula 1 race weekend this season after sim racer Igor Fraga signed for Charouz Racing System for the 2020 FIA F3 championship.

Fraga will race alongside David Schumacher – son of former Williams F1 driver Ralf – and double F3 podium finisher Niko Kari, for the Czech outfit.

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The Brazilian, a former NACAM F4 racer, competed in the inaugural F1 Esports Series final in 2017 and won the FIA Gran Turismo Nations Cup and Manufacturer Series championships in 2018 and 2019, respectively.

He’s proved his success on the blacktop too, finishing ahead of soon-to-be F3 team mate David Schumacher in the 2019 Formula Regional European Championship and he is currently in the running for the 2020 Toyota Racing Series that yields FIA Superlicence points.

“I’m really looking forward to joining the Formula 3 field with Charouz,” he said.

“It’s a competitive series and a very professional environment – running at the same events as F1 is kind of crazy to think about!”

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“I just can’t wait to start my season. This year is about the process of learning. Of course, the goal is always to win a race, but I am not underestimating the challenge ahead. I will give my best and push to achieve my goals.”

The 21-year-old will test F3 machinery in early march and make his next step onto the Road to F1 on the weekend of March 20, as the FIA Formula 3 Championship kicks off in Bahrain – with 30 cars under the lights.