Williams Esports, the esports division of the Williams Formula 1 Team, has announced the first official season of its student competition, the Student Racing League.
The competition will begin in November and features the best student racers from 30 educational institutions in the UK.
The Williams Esports team is the official esports team of the acclaimed Williams Racing F1 team. The esports division was founded in 2018 and was the first factory esports team created by a Formula 1 team. Williams Esports drivers competed in a variety of games and competitions since its inception, including eNASCAR, Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup, and Petit Le Mans.
The first official season of the Student Racing League was announced following a successful pilot series that was held during the 2022/23 academic year. The pilot project featured a total of 10 pilot centres.
A total of 30 schools and colleges from the UK will compete against each other during the season, ending with a LAN final at the Williams F1 headquarters in Oxfordshire. Williams Esports has also partnered with the British Esports Federation to educate students on the benefits of sim racing and esports.
Steven English, the Director of Williams Esports, commented: “We are thrilled to open up the Student Racing League to bring an ever-increasing number of schools, colleges and universities into competitive sim racing. It is our vision here at Williams Esports to offer opportunities for the younger generation to grow a passion for racing, and to elevate esports alongside more traditional sports in academic competition.
“The Student Racing League offers a new platform for students to not just engage their passion for racing, but also to develop crucial skills in performance and operational roles in a growing industry, providing valuable experience and development to students aspiring to careers in the field.”
The Williams Esports team was recently included in a large-scale partnership between its parent company Williams F1 and Gulf Oil International.
