Formula 1 has confirmed that the F1 Sim Racing World Championship will return in 2026, with the new season launching at global esports and gaming festival DreamHack Birmingham from March 27–29. The opening event will be hosted at the NEC, marking DreamHack’s first-ever stop in the United Kingdom and a three‑day program expected to attract around 50,000 gaming fans.
After the Birmingham opener, the remaining three events of the season will move to Formula 1’s Media and Technology Centre in Biggin Hill. Significant investment has gone into a new, multi‑purpose studio facility there, designed to give teams and drivers a high-end performance environment and to place F1 Sim Racing physically and symbolically at the heart of F1’s broader media and technology operations.
F1 Sim Racing takes center stage in a dedicated fan zone
At DreamHack Birmingham, the championship will sit at the core of the event’s gaming ecosystem. A dedicated F1 Sim Racing Fanzone will feature activations from several Formula 1 teams, giving visitors the chance to get hands‑on with simulators, meet sim drivers, and experience the paddock environment up close.
This integration into DreamHack is part of Formula 1’s strategy to embed the sport more deeply in popular culture and to reach new audiences beyond traditional race weekends. By showing up at one of the world’s biggest gaming festivals, F1 aims to tap into a young, highly engaged community that fogyasztja az esportot és a gaming tartalmakat, de esetleg még nem követi rendszeresen a vasárnapi nagydíjakat.
New Biggin Hill facility becomes home of F1 Sim Racing
Following the season opener, all remaining rounds will take place at Formula 1’s new, state‑of‑the‑art studio at the Media and Technology Centre in Biggin Hill. The purpose‑built venue is designed to offer consistent conditions for competitors, from hardware and connectivity to broadcast infrastructure, and to streamline production for global live coverage.
By centralizing events in Biggin Hill after the DreamHack launch, Formula 1 can deliver a controlled, professional environment tailored specifically to sim racing, while also integrating content production with the rest of F1’s media operations. The new facility is intended as a permanent home for the series and a platform for long‑term growth of the F1 Sim Racing ecosystem.
Nine F1 teams, 12 rounds, $750,000 prize pool
For the 2026 season, nine Formula 1 organizations will take part with dedicated esports rosters: Alpine, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Haas, McLaren, Mercedes, Racing Bulls, Red Bull and Williams. Each team will register a three‑driver sim squad, nominating two drivers to race in each round.
Across 12 rounds, the grid will compete for championship points in qualifying sessions and 50%‑distance races, mirroring many of the strategic elements of real‑world Grands Prix. All results will count toward both the Drivers’ and Teams’ standings, as competitors chase their share of a $750,000 prize pool – a clear sign of the series’ growing stature within the broader F1 ecosystem.
Fully live, digital‑first broadcast approach
Every one of the 12 rounds in the 2026 F1 Sim Racing World Championship will be broadcast live across Formula 1’s official YouTube, Facebook and Twitch channels. This digital‑first distribution is designed to meet fans where they already consume gaming and esports content, and to make the series globally accessible without paywalls.
The live coverage will bring viewers into both the on‑track action and the behind‑the‑scenes environment in the new Biggin Hill studio and at DreamHack Birmingham. Ezzel az F1 nemcsak a szimulátoros versenyeket teszi elérhetővé, hanem közelebb hozza a szurkolókhoz az esport‑pilóták személyiségét, a csapatok stratégiáját és a technikai hátteret is.
F1 and ESL FACEIT: merging motorsport prestige with esports energy
Emily Prazer, Formula 1’s Chief Commercial Officer, described the 2026 relaunch as an “exciting chapter” for the sport, emphasizing that starting the season at DreamHack allows F1 to show what it has to offer in places not traditionally associated with motorsport. She highlighted esports as a key way to reach new audiences and younger fans, and called the investment in the Biggin Hill sim racing facility a clear sign of F1’s long‑term commitment to the championship.
Niccolo Maisto, CEO of ESL FACEIT Group, said bringing the F1 Sim Racing World Championship to DreamHack Birmingham means “merging the absolute pinnacle of motorsport with the raw, authentic energy of the UK gaming community.” He described it as a “massive collision of worlds” – unmatched F1 prestige találkozik egy élő, szenvedélyes közönség atmoszférájával –, és kiemelte, hogy a rajongók élőben láthatják, ahogy a világ leggyorsabb szimulátoros versenyzői a határokat feszegetik a DreamHack színpadán.
