Automobile manufacturer Ferrari has announced that a new season for its esports competition, the Ferrari HP Esports Series, will take place this year and end in a large-scale LAN event in December at the Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi on December 5th.
The event is notable for giving the best drivers the opportunity to become a part of the Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports Team, the company’s official esports team, after the Abu Dhabi LAN Finals.
The Ferrari HP Esports Series is an esports tournament run by Ferrari, one of the world’s best-known racing and automobile brands. The tournament is now entering its fifth season, and focuses on amateur drivers around the world, in three main regions: EMEA, the Americas, and the APAC region, first introduced last year. The drivers can compete in three driving simulation games: Assetto Corsa, Assetto Corsa Competizione, and iRacing.
The competition starts with Hot Lap Qualifiers, and the fastest drivers then get a chance to advance to the Regional Qualifiers, set for July 2024. Once again, the best drivers in the Qualifiers will enter the Regional Finals, and get the chance to qualify for the global grand finals in December. A total of five drivers from each of the main regions will participate in the finals, which are set to take place at the Ferrari World Yas Island, the Ferrari-themed theme park that features the world’s fastest rollercoaster, the Formula Rossa.
The 15 drivers will be joined by a wildcard driver, the winner of the Community Cup. This competition will be held across 10 weeks and will feature a large international leaderboard open to all regions. The fastest driver across the 10 weeks (from July through to October) will enter the finals together with the 15 best drivers from the Ferrari HP Esports Series.
What makes the tournament particularly interesting is the fact that Ferrari regularly enlists the best drivers to become a part of its official factory simulation racing team, the Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports Team.
Ferrari told Esports Insider that its esports programme aims to be the best in the sim racing industry and that the drivers that do end up in the programme will have the support of the world’s best talent and staff.
The company noted that it will analyse the performance of the best 16 drivers at the end of the season and that the competition indeed does require high performance, but also a great deal of consistency throughout the season, from the open qualifiers to the last laps of the last race.
Gergő Báldi, Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports Team driver, said: “The Ferrari HP Esports Series has always been a very competitive championship – the name speaks for itself if such a historical brand organises something, it can only be one of – if not – the best out there. That’s why there are so many great names in there every year, that’s why it brings some unpredictable results, and that’s why you can experience a pressure there that nowhere else you could before – and we haven’t even talked about the prize that you can get if you do well there.”
Báldi stressed that the tournament is “a must for every single motorsport enthusiast out there”.
Ferrari added that the Esports Series is a “crucial move” for the company, because it transitions its racing legacy and heritage from the real to the virtual world, helping grow the brand’s appeal in the sim racing industry.
The drivers that make it to the LAN Finals in December in Abu Dhabi will be able to win prizes ranging from Bang & Olufsen Speakers, Ray Ban Sunglasses, Ferrari Merchandise, and a Thrustmaster Formula Wheel Add-On Ferrari SF1000 Edition — a replica of the wheel in the Ferrari SF1000 Formula 1 Car.
Participants who win in one of the 10 Rounds in the Thrustmaster Community Cup can expect to receive a Thrustmaster Ferrari 250 GT Wheel Add-On and the winner will receive a Wildcard Entry to compete at the LAN Grand Finals in December.
The signups for the Ferrari HP Esports Series are open on the official website of the tournament.
UPDATE 27/06/24: This article was updated on June 27th to include details of the LAN final location for the Ferrari HP Esports Series Grand Finals, in Abu Dhabi.