The new season of V10 R-League approaches and it will be the biggest yet as two new teams are entering the championship.
Gfinity and Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management first launched the V10 R-League in 2020 as an 8-team series, but after the enormous success of Season 1 the championship has been expanded to 10 teams.
With a purpose-built, single-seater car powered by a monstrous v10 engine, the V10 R-League produces the atmosphere racing fans have missed while providing thrilling on-track action in a unique team vs team format.
Now it’s back, and bigger than ever for Season 2!
New challengers enter
The V10 R-League already featured some of the biggest names in motorsport, but the addition of two new teams is set to increase the aura of the competition to new heights.
McLaren Shadow will step into the V10 car and compete with a team led by British sim racer and GT driver James Baldwin.
Leeston Bryant, Senior Manager, McLaren esports said: “McLaren’s ambition in 2021 and beyond to increase our racing footprint. We are really excited for McLaren Shadow to be entering the innovative V10 R-League which has built up an impressive following in a short space of time. Our line-up for this competition is led by James Baldwin, and we are looking forward to seeing what James and the rest of the McLaren Shadow team can do in this exciting league.”
Joining them is R8G Esports, a team launched by former Formula 1 star and current IndyCar driver Romain Grosjean.
Romain Grosjean said: "From the very beginning, I was eager to join the V10 R-League. Cars are very exciting; racing format is original; all of this in front of a wide audience. That's why today I am so excited to see our cars on track, with some of our sim racing stars. They have already tested the car, and they fall in love with it! And I am sure I will not resist having a go in the V10R car."
The expansion to 10 teams will see the V10 R-League move to a two-division format with playoffs and a grand final in which the champion will be crowned.
The two divisions of five will be created by seedings based on last season's performances, with one of the new teams joining each division.
The top three teams in each division will move into the playoffs, with the division winners getting a bye straight to the semi-finals.
Season 1 champions Team Redline will be back to defend their crown from the newcomers as well as Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team, BMW Motorsport SIM Racing Team, Jean Alesi Esports Academy Team Suzuki, Red Bull Racing Esports, Team Fordzilla, Williams Esports, & YAS HEAT.
It is a talented field that will all be taking aim at claiming the crown for themselves. Diederik Kinds, Team Principal, Team Redline said:
"As Season 1 champions we are excited to raise the bar even further. We have made hardware upgrades, went through ruthless training as well as analyzing the past season in great detail and are now ready to take on the V10R field once again."
New & improved match format
Each team-vs-team race will take on a different look from last year.
Matches will be split into a home and an away leg with teams nominating a home circuit for the match. Each venue will then host a relay and team race, which means a whitewash score will be 4-0 for Season 2 and make each dropped point all the more crucial.
Tracks will be picked from a pool each week, with each team able to veto a track. The added layer of strategy will make preparing for races a little trickier this time around.
How to watch Season 2
The new season of the V10 R-League will begin in April and be shown in more countries than ever before.
After the success of Season 1, ESPN will be expanding its coverage of the V10 R-League for Season 2, taking the racing action to fans in Canada, the Caribbean, Latin America, and Oceania for the first time.
BT Sport will continue air Season 2 in the UK, while StarzPlay will carry the series in the Middle East and North Africa.
John Clarke, CEO, Gfinity said: “V10 R-League is back bigger and better than before. An expanded roster, with two new teams, an even faster car, some new tracks, and an exciting revised format for fans to enjoy. Season 1, in just seven weeks, became one of the most-watched virtual racing competitions, with 35 million gaming fans on ESPN in the US alone tuning in. Based on this success multiple ESPN markets across every continent will now be airing Season 2. We continue to build the linear and digital audiences with the goal of making the V10 R-League one of the most commercially valuable virtual racing competitions in the world. Great teams and competitive racing, supported by Gfinity’s world-class production values means that V10 R-League will be back with a bang!”
Saif Al Noaimi, Acting CEO Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management said: “The success of season one, two new world-class teams, and growing broadcast commitment reflects the strength of the programme and our partnership with Gfinity. To see the first of our competitions within the Global Racing Series start to flourish is testament to the hard work and talent of the entire team. We look forward to building upon this growth and developing new ideas to bring to market.”