Formula One series zooms into view

Engines vroom and tires squeal as 20 Formula One cars jostle for position at Shanghai International Circuit. Commentators raise the volume when the action heats up at turns, and spectators clap for smart passes or successful defenses.

In reality, the racers are sitting in car-shaped simulators on a laser-lit stage, with their hands gripping the wheels and their eyes glued to screens.

Welcome to the virtual form of the fastest car race on Earth.

Last Sunday, Shanghai student Tang Tianyu took the checkered flag first to win the Formula One E-sports Series' inaugural China Championship at Hui Space in Shanghai Stadium.

The triumph earned Tang a prize of 135,000 yuan ($19,300) and a ticket to the Formula One E-sports 2020 Pro Draft in London later this year.

"I started playing this game on computer in 2017, and have been practicing three to four hours every day lately for this championship," said Tang, who is a junior studying finance at Shanghai International Studies University.

Tang first fell in love with F1 after watching the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix, the sport's debut race in China, but it was not until two years ago that he truly immersed himself in its e-sports version－when he purchased a simulator for practice at home.

"I haven't decided whether to go into it professionally yet, but it's worth trying since I got this chance－my dream is being chosen by the Ferrari team," Tang said, adding that Chinese e-sports racers still have a long way to go to catch up with their Western counterparts.

Guillaume Vergnas, e-sports manager of Renault Sport Racing, said he was impressed by the performances of Chinese players given the relatively short time the country has been exposed to F1 e-sports.

"We will be looking at their performance and keep an eye on them in the draft," said Vergnas.

Zhou Guanyu, the Renault F1 team's first ever Chinese development driver, worked as a commentator at Sunday's final.

"I play this game in my spare time, and keep up-to-date with e-sports. Many of the racers are pretty good," said Zhou, adding that real-life Formula One racers also use simulators to familiarize themselves with different circuits.

"This China Championship gives people another way to enjoy Formula One, and it will definitely draw more attention next year."

This year's championship was launched in August in conjunction with Shanghai Juss Sports Development (Group) Co Ltd, and attracted 100,000 participants and 6 million online spectators.

Over 5,000 racers contested the qualifying rounds in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu in Sichuan province, and Foshan in Guangdong province.

"The beauty of Formula One e-sports is that, unlike other e-sports games, it has a lot of parallels to the real world, and all Formula One teams have their e-racing teams," said Julian Tan, head of digital business initiatives and e-sports at Formula One.

"It's also providing a more accessible way for people to engage in motor sports… because people cannot just jump into a Formula One car, but e-racing helps us bridge the gap."

Formula One is using e-sports to attract more fans, with China identified as a key market, according to Tan.

"We are beginning to see more and more Chinese fans start to embrace Formula One through e-racing," he said.

"I am confidant that we will see a Chinese driver, whether in real life or in the virtual world, make it to Formula One in the future."