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Everything you need to know about the 2025 F1 Sim Racing World Championship
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The F1 Sim Racing World Championship is returning this month as all 10 F1 teams prepare to do battle on the virtual stage.
With the first event set to get under way in a matter of days, the esports competition is the perfect dose of F1 action while you wait for the 2025 season to get started.
Here is everything you need to know about this year’s F1 Sim Racing World Championship…
READ MORE: 5 things to be excited about as F1 gears up for the 2025 season
What is the F1 Sim Racing World Championship?
The F1 Sim Racing World Championship is an esports competition featuring all 10 teams from our real-life, fast-paced sport.
With three drivers per team, in 2025 they will all do battle in 12 rounds of racing across three events in a bid to secure glory and a piece of the season’s $750,000 prize pot.
The F1 Sim Racing World Championship is returning for 2025, with event one starting on January 14
When does the 2025 season start?
You don’t have to wait long and, if there is an F1-shaped hole in your life, then this will be the perfect remedy.
The first event of 2024 will kick off on Tuesday, January 14, with all the drivers racing in person over LAN (Local Area Network) at the EFG studio in Stockholm, Sweden over three days.
Event two will take place on February 11-13 while event three will be held from March 25-27.
READ MORE: The 2025 Formula 1 calendar in full
How does each event work?
Each event will feature four rounds of racing action across three days – the first and third days will feature one round while day two will host two rounds.
All 12 rounds will consist of a full qualifying session and a 50% distance Grand Prix with the teams beginning the season at the Albert Park Circuit in Australia. That will then be followed by the challenging Shanghai International Circuit in China and a Middle Eastern-double header in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Across the three events, the championship will also compete at fan favourites including the Circuit of The Americas, Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Interlagos before ending the season at the Yas Marina Circuit.
The 2025 season features 12 rounds across three events
Who took the titles in 2024?
Last season, Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing driver Frede Rasmussen was crowned the Drivers’ Champion in dramatic fashion after the championship went down to the final round at the Yas Marina Circuit.
The Danish racer narrowly beat Kick F1 Sim Racing Team driver, Thomas Ronhaar, in that showdown, whilst Scuderia Ferrari Esports Team claimed the Constructors’ Championship.
Are there driver moves in the F1 Sim Racing World Championship?
If you thought the driver market for the 2025 F1 grid was red hot, then the F1 Sim Racing World Championship line-up moves are just as active.
There have been 16 driver changes going into this season – which is unbelievably a record low for the F1 Sim Racing World Championship – with six rookie drivers signed to four different teams. All 10 teams have at least one new driver in their line-up for the 2025 season, while Haas are the only team to have changed their entire three-driver line-up this year.
The most notable move for this year is Jarno Opmeer going to Red Bull from Mercedes as the two-time champion (2020 and 2021) will now be racing alongside 2024 champion Rasmussen.
Aston Martin’s Otis Lawrence is the youngest driver on the grid at 16 years of age, while Shanaka Clay and Piotr Stachulec return after a one-year hiatus with Haas and Alpine respectively.
Frede Rasmussen was crowned the Drivers’ Champion in dramatic fashion last year
The full 2025 F1 Sim Racing World Championship driver line-up
Alpine Sim Racing Team
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Idowu | British | 10 Feb 2003 | #52 |
| Joni Tormala | Finnish | 15 Aug 1996 | #51 |
| Piotr Stachulec | Polish | 10 Oct 2005 | #84 |
Aston Martin Aramco F1 Esports Team
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fabrizio Donoso | Chilean | 19 Jun 1999 | #8 |
| Duncan Hofland | Dutch | 26 Nov 2002 | #26 |
| Otis Lawrence | Welsh | 1 Apr 2008 | #45 |
Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports Team
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicolas Longuet | French | 6 Aug 2002 | #40 |
| Bari Broumand | Iranian | 7 Apr 2003 | #7 |
| John Evans | British | 24 Apr 2004 | #32 |
MoneyGram Haas F1 Sim Racing Team
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanaka Clay | British | 4 Feb 1999 | #79 |
| Tamas Gal | Hungarian | 23 Dec 2006 | #34 |
| Joris Croezen | Dutch | 7 Feb 2007 | #36 |
KICK F1 Sim Racing Team
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Ronhaar | Dutch | 22 Apr 2005 | #39 |
| Brendon Leigh | British | 7 Aug 1999 | #72 |
| Tycho Hardy | Dutch | 15 Dec 2004 | #74 |
McLaren Shadow
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfie Butcher | British | 30 Apr 2007 | #41 |
| Lucas Blakeley | British | 15 Jul 2001 | #88 |
| Wilson Hughes | British | 7 Dec 2004 | #12 |
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports Team
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Bereznay | Hungarian | 28 May 2000 | #15 |
| Jake Benham | British | 6 May 2006 | #25 |
| Istvan Puki | Hungarian | 14 Dec 2001 | #62 |
Origin RB
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Manley | British | 6 Mar 2005 | #6 |
| Declan Barrett | British | 7 Nov 2007 | #98 |
| Ulas Ozyildirim | Turkish | 9 Jun 2005 | #95 |
Oracle Red Bull Sim Racing
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frederik Rasmussen | Danish | 18 Jun 2000 | #19 |
| Jarno Opmeer | Dutch | 11 Apr 2000 | #5 |
| Sebastian Job | British | 22 Mar 2000 | #13 |
Williams Esports
| Driver | Nationality | Date of birth | Driver number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alvaro Carreton | Spanish | 21 Jul 2001 | #9 |
| Ismael Fahssi | Spanish | 27 May 2006 | #54 |
| Ruben Pedreno | Spanish | 24 Dec 2006 | #93 |
How can I watch it?
All 12 rounds of the F1 Sim Racing World Championship will be broadcast live via the official F1 YouTube, Twitch, and Facebook channels, as well as the dedicated F1 Esports social media channels.
Presenters Tom Deacon and Matt Gallagher will be hosting the championship coverage along with former F1 Sim Racing driver Marcel Kiefer, ‘Pit Lane’ reporter Claire Cottingham and F1 TV Commentator Alex Jacques.
READ MORE: Formula 1 announces multi-year extension with the Belgian Grand Prix
How can I keep up to date?
To keep up to date with the Championship, follow F1 Esports on YouTube, Facebook, Twitch, TikTok, X, and Instagram.
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