eSports
Red Bull secure hat-trick of wins in F1 Esports Series Pro Championship Event 2, and go level with Mercedes in the title race
The 2021 F1 Esports Series Pro Championship presented by Aramco continued with three more nail-biting races as drivers took on an iconic trio circuits, Silverstone, Monza and Spa, in Event 2, with Red Bull taking wins in the each of the three rounds. Jarno Opmeer and Lucas Blakeley continued their strong starts with more impressive displays, and lead the Drivers’ Championship with 101 and 87 points respectively. Meanwhile, in the Teams’ Championship, the picture reflects real life as Mercedes and Red Bull lead the way, both on 140 points, and are well placed to get the lion’s share of the $750,000 prize pot.
One of last year’s leading title contenders Frede Rasmussen, secured his first win of the season – a first for Red Bull this year – with a brilliant performance at Silverstone, where he also started on pole. Rasmussen had the lead for the majority of the race, but had to wrestle it back from Mercedes’ Dani Moreno, who took P1 with just a few laps remaining, before the Red Bull driver regained the position going into the final corners. Lucas Blakeley continued his brilliant start to the season for Aston Martin with another podium finish in P3, despite a timing error that suggested he had crossed the line in second place ahead of Moreno.
Wednesday’s action continued with another thrilling encounter at Monza, as Marcel Kiefer made it an even better day for Red Bull with his first win of the season, showing why he cannot be counted out of this year’s title race. Kiefer and Rasmussen looked set to deliver a valuable 1-2 finish, before Opmeer, who started on pole, jumped into P2 on the penultimate lap – and things got even worse for Rasmussen as he was spun by Ferrari’s David Tonizza going into the first corner of the final lap, and fell down the order. Blakeley secured another podium finish after benefitting from time penalties that were given to Moreno for leaving the track, who finished in P3, and Tonizza for his collision with Rasmussen.
Rasmussen made it three wins out of three for Red Bull in Event 2 with a dominant drive and a tyre strategy that worked to perfection for him as he was victorious in Spa. In very wet conditions, Rasmussen, Opmeer and Kiefer were among those that chose to start on intermediate tyres and hope that they would last to the end of the race, which they certainly did. It looked like a 1-2 was on the cards for Red Bull, with Kiefer sitting behind Rasmussen going into the final lap, before he was overtaken, first by Opmeer, who secured another big points haul in his title quest, and then Tonizza, with the two former world champions finishing P2 and P3 respectively.
Event 3 will see the drivers race for the first time ever on the Portimão circuit, before battling it out at Zandvoort and the Circuit of the Americas, in a trio of undoubtedly action-packed races on 24-25 November.
Following Event 2, the official standings are as follows:
Driver standings
Team standings
Drivers are continuing to race remotely from their homes or team facilities, as they did in the 2020 season, but the hugely popular competition continues to broadcast from the Gfinity Esports Arena in London. Following the same Event format as recent campaigns, teams battle it out on the official F1 2021 video game, developed by Codemasters, with the live shows are streamed online via official channels of Formula 1 on Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and Huya, as well as broadcast on television via select international broadcast partners.
F1 Esports events have achieved over 40 million views across TV and digital, in the last 18 months, and this popularity led to a record number of people attempting to be a part of this year’s Pro Exhibition, with almost half a million taking part in qualification. Qualification for next year’s competition is now open through a challenge in the official F1 2021 video game, with the first event live until 31st October. If you would like to find out more information on how to take part in the F1 Esports Series and for more information on the Pro Championship presented by Aramco, visit www.f1esports.com.
Full race results:
Round 4 – Silverstone
Round 5 – Monza
Round 6 – Spa
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Partnership to drive EWC’s expansion in China, leveraging Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem
The Esports World Cup Foundation (EWCF) announced a partnership with Tencent, making Tencent E-sports the EWCF’s strategic partner in China to drive the expansion of the Esports World Cup’s presence in the region. This partnership marks a significant milestone in the EWCF’s purpose to unite global esports fans under one competitive umbrella and underscores its commitment to integrating the world’s most important and rapidly growing esports market into the Esports World Cup platform. The agreement was formalized at the Empower Esports Worldwide Series – The Esports Operation and Technology Session in Shenzhen, China.
The collaboration will establish a dedicated Development Team to enhance EWC’s visibility, engagement, and industry collaboration in China, while leveraging EWC’s and Tencent E-sports’ networks and expertise to connect Chinese esports with EWC’s global ecosystem. Tencent E-sports will provide marketing expertise, strategic consulting, and operational support to deliver diverse content and experiences.
“The Esports World Cup has created a global stage for competitive gaming, demonstrating its influence not only in China but across the world,” said Mars Hou, Vice President of Tencent Games and General Manager of Tencent E-sports. “Through this partnership, we are committed to elevating EWC’s presence in China and integrating our esports industry with the world’s largest competitive gaming event. We look forward to deepening our collaboration with EWCF to push esports forward on a global scale.”
“The Esports World Cup’s purpose is to create a global platform for esports and gaming fans worldwide, and investing in key growth markets for esports is a core pillar of our mission,” said Thamer Al Shuaibi, Chief of Staff at the Esports World Cup Foundation. “China plays a critical role in this vision, and Tencent’s leadership in gaming and esports positions it as an essential partner. By combining our expertise, we will continue to strengthen esports as an industry, providing new opportunities for Chinese players and Clubs, and bringing the best of the Esports World Cup to Chinese fans.”
Esports World Cup 2025 will once again unite gaming and esports communities in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for a global competition that will crown the next Esports World Cup Champion. The tournament’s unique cross-game format will reward Clubs and players competing for a life-changing prize pool in a mix of platforms and genres, bringing together esports’ best players, Clubs and games under one banner in the largest-ever celebration of esports.
The post Esports World Cup Foundation Announces Strategic Partnership with Tencent appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) implemented its comprehensive anti-doping testing program at IEM Katowice 2025, organised by ESL FACEIT Group (EFG). Conducted at EFG’s request, this initiative reinforced the commitment of both organisations to maintaining the highest standards of competitive integrity in esports.
ESIC’s anti-doping procedures, carried out in accordance with the ESIC Anti-Doping Code, ensured that all participating competitors at IEM Katowice adhered to globally recognised best practices. The programme featured advanced testing protocols, thorough monitoring and rigorous enforcement measures, all designed to uphold fair competition.
“At ESIC, our mission is to protect the integrity of the esports ecosystem. By deploying our anti-doping testing at IEM Katowice 2025, we reaffirmed our dedication to supporting event organizers like EFG in hosting competitions where athletes compete responsibly and ethically,” Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer of ESIC, said.
Over the past few years, ESIC has administered more than 700 anti-doping tests at major esports events, including those hosted by EFG. This extensive experience further cements ESIC’s reputation for providing industry-leading services that prioritise player welfare, competitive fairness and a culture of transparency.
“Protecting integrity is paramount for esports, which is why EFG and ESIC are constantly working together to ensure fair competition. ESIC have proven themselves to have the experience, as well as an advanced system that provides the credibility and peace of mind needed at one of our biggest and most prestigious events, IEM Katowice,” Carsten Kramer, Director of Tournament Management at EFG, said.
The post ESIC Implemented its Anti-doping Testing Programme at IEM Katowice 2025 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
New partnership will see Kambi’s Esports division deliver its full suite of esports products, including odds via Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API, to Kindred’s in-house sportsbook
Abios, a leading esports data and odds provider and part of Kambi Group, is pleased to announce a multi-year partnership with Kindred Group, one of the world’s leading online betting and gaming operators, to provide its full range of best-in-class esports betting solutions.
Abios will supply its complete esports package, including odds, data, widgets and always-on content, to Kindred’s Unibet and 32Red brands, providing the operator’s in-house sportsbook with unrivalled esports betting experiences.
Leveraging Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API, Abios will deliver its high-uptime odds feed which includes comprehensive esoccer and ebasketball coverage, as well as leading esports titles such as Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, Dota 2 and VALORANT. Utilising automated modelling, Abios’ low latency odds feed utilises official tournament data to power leading features such as bet builder and player props.
The new agreement is in addition to the Esports odds service Abios currently provides to Kindred as part of Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook service.
Anton Janér, Managing Director and Co-founder of Abios, said: “We are delighted to strengthen our partnership with Unibet and the wider Kindred Group, a leader in the global sports betting and gaming market. This agreement showcases the value of Abios’ full esports odds packages and our ability to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of operators and enables them to reach new audiences through the growth of esports.”
Ben Colley, Sportsbook Director of Kindred Group, added: “Esports continues to grow in popularity, and it’s essential that we offer our customers the best possible experience in this exciting category. Extending our partnership with Abios via Kambi’s Odds Feed+ API and leveraging their deep expertise and esports odds solutions ensures we remain at the forefront of esports betting, delivering unparalleled products and services to our players.”
The post Abios partners with Kindred Group to provide full esports betting solutions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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