Esports

Preview: F1 Esports Pro Championship opener

Aston Martin is on the eve of a new era as it prepares to make its competitive debut in the F1 Esports Pro Championship this week. With the support of Title Partner Cognizant, we're bringing you all you need to know ahead of Wednesday and Thursday's action.

Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team drivers Lucas Blakeley, Daniele Haddad and Shanaka Clay enter the first of four events, as the team brings new energy to the virtual world with a determination to shake up the order and compete at the sharp end.

The trio enter the series following a successful 2021 campaign in the V10 R-League after defeating fellow Formula One rivals McLaren Shadow and Williams Esports en route to the final.

With a rigorous pre-season completed, Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team is primed to showcase its dynamic and talented driver line-up and experienced management team, ready to fight for success.

Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team drivers will also race with the new EPOS H6PRO gaming headsets, which were released in early October.

Virtual racing

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Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team features a dynamic and talented driver line-up and an experienced management team ready to fight for success. Come into our world and discover our team.

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The 2021 F1 Esports Pro Championship commences on Wednesday and Thursday with three rounds at the Bahrain International Circuit, Shanghai International Circuit and Red Bull Ring.

Lucas and Daniele, who have had a long-standing relationship with Team Silverstone since 2019, will compete in the opening event while 2020 Pro Draft pick Shanaka will support the pair.

All rounds will be held at 35% race distance on the latest addition to the Formula One video game franchise, F1 2021, which presents a new challenge for drivers with enhanced realism.

Qualifying and the race for each round will be broadcast globally. For more information, please consult your local TV guide.

Lucas Blakeley, Esports Driver at Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team: "In Event One of the 2021 F1 Esports Pro Championship, we have three circuits that we have raced at before in the series with Bahrain, China and Austria.

"Because we have previous knowledge here, there is a sense of familiarity, even though we are racing on a new game. From the outset, my target is to do the best job that I can on the day, and, hopefully, that will yield some good results.

"Ultimately, we don't know how fast we are going to be until the first qualifying session, but our preparation has been good and if everything runs smoothly, we can have a strong start to the season."

Daniele Haddad, Esports Driver at Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team: "Last year, we had a challenging season, but I believe we are starting from a very different position now.

"The F1 Esports Pro Championship is the most competitive series in Esports, and, like us, the other teams are well prepared, so the field will be very close together in Event One.

"I believe we are ready to compete at our very best and we need to ensure that we optimise everything so we can extract all the performance we have.

"If we can do that, and if we take the season race-by-race, I think we can be in a very good position to fight for the top positions, which is always the goal."

Shanaka Clay, Esports Driver at Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team: "I am very excited to get my second season in the F1 Esports Pro Championship underway this week.

"Lucas and Daniele will be competing in the first event of the 2021 campaign, and I will be supporting them behind the scenes so they can be in the best possible position for the Bahrain, China, and Austria races.

"After a promising pre-season programme, I think we should be in a good position and, together, I think we can perform well and be confident for the season ahead."