F1 Head Of Growth & Esports: “Gaming Enables You To Speak To Young People In A Language They Understand”

August 29, 2019

As the F1 New Balance Esports Series continues its rapid growth, China has now been added to the eco-system. The China Championship kicked off in Shanghai on August 4 as the first dedicated Chinese competition in the F1 e-series. The event at the CapitaMall LuOne in downtown Shanghai marked the start of a mission to scout the top sim racers in China’s previously untapped pool of talent. Julian Tan, Formula 1’s Head of Growth & Esports speaks to iSportconnect TV about the importance of the series for F1 as a whole and how gaming is becoming a path for developing motorsport talent.

The 2018 F1 New Balance Esports Series drew a record audience of 1.2 million across selected TV networks and 3.2 million people on a dedicated live stream, with 70% of viewers tuning in to watch the final were below 34 years old. There were over 100 million social media impressions and 20 million online video views of F1 Esports content accumulated over the course of the series.