All-electric motorsport series Formula E has announced the return of the Formula E Accelerate sim racing championship.
The third season of the competition will see drivers compete for a share of €40,000 (~£35,250) in prize money.
In addition to the Accelerate championship, Formula E will launch Accelerate AMPED, an influencer-focused competition that will see 11 influencers representing teams competing in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Influencers participating in the event will earn points to determine the Accelerate Teams Champion.
Heats for Accelerate AMPED will take place alongside the Accelerate Championship which begins at the Berlin E-Prix from July 15th-16th. Qualifiers for the championship are already underway and will decide the 22 drivers competing in the championship.
Formula E is no stranger to the world of sim racing after holding the Accelerate Championship in 2021 and 2022. Prior to the formation of the championship, the series held the Vegas eRace, a one-off event where drivers competed for $1m (~£803,020) in prize money.
Following the sim racing boom during the COVID-19 pandemic, the industry continues to grow. In April, the likes of FURIA and Heroic partnered with VRS to support its sim racing divisions competing in the ESL R1 competition.
Kieran Holmes-Darby, Gaming Director at Formula E, spoke on the news: “Formula E is delivering highly-competitive, world-class racing both on the track and in the sim racing world with the Accelerate Championship.
“We are merging the worlds of competitive gaming and influencers to introduce a new wave of competitors and give fans an exciting new way to engage with Formula E.”
