Formula E held its second Race Off on Saturday at Leicester's ESL Studios, with Dragon Racing's Jerome D’Ambrosio going-head-to-head with Virgin DS driver Sam Bird, with the former taking the trophy.
The pair were joined by a selection of lucky gamers who competed online alongside fans from all over the world, with the races streamed live across Formula E’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.
Formula E launched the virtual series as part of a plan to interact with fans and to promote the sport amongst a growing audience of gamers.
Speaking about the initiative following his Race Off victory, D'Ambrosio said it was important for the relatively new series to interact with fans and believes eSports is a great way of doing just that.
"It’s not about winning, it’s about the interaction with the fans and gamers," said the Mexico City ePrix winner. "There are so many things we can do together – it’s two different worlds but we all love racing.
"This is only the beginning in terms of what we can do together. I think it’s great that Formula E is trying to connect in a different way with the fans and the community. Incorporating eSports is a great idea. What we do on track and what they do on their consoles – there is space for both of them and it’s great that we can take each other on."
Bird added: "Finishing runner-up is obviously disappointing but I had a lot of fun! It’s always good to interact with the audience and those that are online, and it’s great to be part of this adventure with Formula E and the gaming platform."
