F1 Esports: “It would be mega to see new tracks on the F1 game” says Jarno Opmeer


F1 in 2020 has been an amazing spectacle. Not because of the black Mercedes racing off into the distance, but because of the tracks the championship has visited.

From Mugello and Portimao to returning to Imola this weekend, the new venues have kept things spicy.

F1 Esports also has three new tracks in its series this year, with Hanoi, Zandvoort, and Mexico entering the series. But should it change up the circuits more?

We caught up with championship leader Jarno Opmeer to talk all things F1 Esports.

New circuit

Similarly to the first event, Event 2 sees a brand new track enter F1 Esports as Zandvoort takes to the stage.

The Dutch Grand Prix has entered the F1 2020 game for the first time, and the glorious track has been a lot of fun for drivers everywhere to race on.

"New tracks are always a bit tricky of course." Said Opmeer, who moved to Alfa Romeo for 2020 to team with Dani Bereznay.

F1 2020 Zandvoort turn 9 Y
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FRESH ASPHALT: The surface at Zandvoort is excellent

It's not the only new circuit of course, with Hanoi appearing last time out and Mexico entering the fray later on in the season.

2020 has seen Formula 1 unexpectedly visit both new tracks and old favourites that aren't in the game.

While Codemasters has repeatedly told fans the likes of Portimao and Nurburgring won't be added to the game, it hasn't stopped gamers longing to race them in F1. Or the Esports grid.

Time for a freshen up?

F1 can get rather samey with the familiar tracks being raced on over and over again. Which is why the likes of Mugello and Imola have been such a breath of fresh air this year.

“It would be mega to see new tracks on the F1 game” said Opmeer when asked if he'd like to race them. "I feel like we've been driving a lot on the same tracks in F1 Esports."

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NEW DIGS: Opmeer has moved from Renault to Alfa Romeo for 2020 and it is paying off

"Tracks like Bahrain, China, Spa [...] I feel like we've driven every year on those."

"I wouldn't mind having some new tracks when the next game comes out."

We hope that tracks such as Portimao and Imola will be seen on F1 2021, even if it's just a DLC.

However, that looks unlikely as the provisional calendar for the 2021 season looks very familiar.

Though there is one potentially new addition...

Saudi Arabia in F1

Saudi Arabia’s addition to the provisional F1 calendar for next season could see the track’s inclusion in the game, potentially adding a new track for the Series.

F1 2020 Vietnam turn 8
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HANOI: Not every new track is a hit with fans though

If it does indeed make the final cut then we should see it on the F1 2021 game. While not every track is ideal for F1 Esports (Monaco & Singapore to name two), it could add fresh asphalt to future seasons.

The idea of seeing a more regular cycle of Esports Series track is a promising thought, even if we can't necessarily go to Turkey or the Bahrain oval.

Watch Event 2 of the F1 Esports Pro Series presented by Aramco on 4-5 November live on F1’s official Facebook, YouTube and Twitch channels.

For full info on how to watch visit https://www.f1esports.com/

For more articles like this, take a look at our F1 page.