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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The Esports Foundation (EF) has opened applications for its 2026 Creator Program, committing $2 million (~INR 19 crore) in rewards for co-streamers supporting the Esports World Cup (EWC) 2026 in Paris and the Esports Nations Cup (ENC) 2026 in Riyadh. EF announced the program on June 12, 2026, from Paris and Riyadh, and said applications are open now, including for creators across India.
EF said co-streaming was a key driver of EWC reach last year, citing 3,500 co-streamers as “one of the key growth pillars” for EWC viewership in 2025. The Foundation is positioning the 2026 Creator Program as a scaled-up initiative, targeting 5,000 creators “across new regions and platforms.”
“This isn’t just an esports trend; it’s a media trend,” said Wasae Imran, Director Broadcast & Distribution at the Esports Foundation. “Across music, video, news and sport, audiences don’t just watch what they’re given anymore. They choose their own experience: what to watch, where to focus, and how deep to go. Esports just lives further down that road than most, and traditional sport is heading the same way. It’s not about delivering a match in one format, it’s about opening up every way into the same moment and letting fans choose how they want to consume it. The Creators Program is how we build for that, by enabling the growth of creators that fans already trust to carry the world’s biggest esports event into every community.”
According to EF, approved creators can co-stream selected tournaments, complete missions, and progress a “Battle Pass” tied to rewards ranging from gift cards and hardware to platform perks and invitations to EWC and ENC. EF said the program supports multiple streaming platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Bilibili, Huya, and CHZZK.
EF also confirmed operational details for EWC 2026: the event is set for Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from July 6 through August 23, featuring more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries across 25 tournaments and 24 games, with a $75 million+ prize pool. ENC 2026 is scheduled for November in Riyadh and will extend the creator program to a nation-based competition format.
The post Esports Foundation opens 2026 co-streaming Creator Program with $2m rewards pool appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Deal covers travel and hospitality packages across BLAST’s event slate, starting with BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals in November.
BLAST has signed a one-year partnership with MATCH to develop premium fan travel experiences and related commercial opportunities across BLAST events in 2026 and 2027, including the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals 2026. The companies said the work will start immediately, with an initial focus on the BLAST Premier Hong Kong Rivals event in November.
BLAST VP of Destinations and Market Development James Woollard said: “We’re thrilled to partner with MATCH, a company with an unrivalled track record in delivering top-tier fan travel experiences at the biggest sporting events in the world. As BLAST continues to grow globally and attract growing numbers of travelling fans, this partnership represents an exciting opportunity to further elevate the live event experience for fans and audiences across esports.”
MATCH is best known for hospitality and accommodation programmes at major sports events, including four consecutive FIFA World Cups
from 2010 to 2022, as well as Ryder Cup tournaments, Formula 1 Grands Prix and ATP tennis tournaments. MATCH Director of UK Events and Business Strategy Richard Parker said: “Esports is one of the most exciting growth frontiers in live entertainment, and BLAST stands out as a world-class platform with incredible potential. At MATCH, we see a tremendous opportunity to bring our expertise in creating premium fan experiences into the esports arena. We are very enthusiastic about the possibility of working together with BLAST to deliver innovative, unforgettable experiences for esports fans worldwide.”
BLAST said MATCH will also bring its network of clients, sponsors, federations, agents and media partners to support international attendance and partner activation, alongside MATCH’s technology and operational infrastructure. The announcement follows BLAST’s 2025 live events activity, where the organiser said it delivered 15 arena shows across 10 countries spanning five titles and sold 194,421 tickets.
The post BLAST partners with MATCH on premium fan travel for 2026-27 events appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Team Vitality is launching an official fan zone, V.Hub, to coincide with the 2026 IEM Cologne Major. The venue will run June 18-21 at KWB im Stadtpalais, a short walk from the LANXESS Arena.
Access to V.Hub will be free for fans who sign up, with limited availability. Team Vitality said the space is intended to bring together its community, partners and Counter-Strike fans attending the event.
The fan zone will include dedicated areas hosted by Team Vitality and partners Skin.Club, ASUS ROG, EVNIA and Blacklyte. The club said activations will include hands-on experiences and opportunities to play bespoke Counter-Strike maps.
Team Vitality also plans match watch parties, a pop-up shop for official merchandise and giveaways, including an ASUS ROG x Team Vitality co-branded mousepad. During the playoff stage, the club said V.Hub will be set up for trophy photo opportunities with its Major trophies.
Food and drink will be available on site throughout the event, including vegetarian options.
The post Team Vitality opens V.Hub fan zone for IEM Cologne Major appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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