The Ranger will pilot his own racing car in the Codemasters video game, which will host an online competition on April 19.
The Chinese Grand Prix will be played virtually thanks to F1 2019, the official Formula 1 game developed by Codemasters. Thibaout Courtois, Real Madrid goalkeeper, will participate as a Red Bull driver on Sunday April 19 from 7:00 p.m. He will do so against Charles Lecrerc, who won the previous race, and other Formula 1 personalities, including George Russell, Antonio Giovinazzi, Lando Norris, Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi.
The Belgian international of the merengue team will face each other with other competitors that will be announced in the coming days. This initiative has been launched due to the coronavirus epidemic, which has caused the suspension of the real competition, so that the third race of the new season of the F1 Virtual Grand Prix series will offer fans of this sport the opportunity to continue enjoying the races.
The organization has reported that the Grand Prix will take place on the Shanghai International Circuit (China), where the Heineken Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix would have been held if COVID-19 had not prevented it. Therefore, all participating pilots will make an appearance from their homes, with a live broadcast through the Gfinity Esports Arena
Our line-up for this weekend's #virtualgp! Alex @ alex_albon will be joined by @realmadrid goalkeeper @thibautcourtois! ⚽️ # ChineseGP
– Aston Martin Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) April 16, 2020
Where and how to see it
All these contents will be broadcast live through the official channels of Formula 1 on YouTube, Twitch, Weibo and Facebook, with an expected duration of one and a half hours. The competition will have a previous classification where the positions of the starting grid will be decided according to the times. This will be followed by a 28-lap race, which will also be broadcast through “international broadcast partners”, including the British networks Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event.
This Chinese F1 Esports Series Championship will go beyond the Virtual Grand Prix and kick off the 2020 season with a preseason event. The main elements will remain as before, with a qualification round, regional finals and the Grand Final. The main change is that "a new Professional League that was not part of the 2019 campaign" will be added. This is the Pro League, an online 22-race championship "that follows the same scoring mechanics as the Formula One World Championship." Thus, the ten fastest drivers in the standings will be able to directly access the Grand Final and race alongside other drivers from the regional finals. The reward? An official contract with an F1 Sports team.
During the preseason event, two exhibition races will also take place: the first will be the All-Star Race at the Circuit de Monaco; in the second, Pro League teams will demonstrate their talent on the Shanghai International Circuit. "The F1 Esports Pro Exhibition exhibition race will precede the Virtual Grand Prix this weekend and its start time is scheduled for 18:00," they explain in the press release. It will also be possible to follow live on the same platforms mentioned above.
Codemasters, meanwhile, has announced the development of F1 2020 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia. It will be available on July 10.
Source | F1 (Press release)
