Formula E: Accelerate is a professional esports competition created by Formula E in 2021, following the success of 2020's event, the ABB Formula E Race at Home Challenge in support of UNICEF.[1][3]

Formula E: Accelerate
2021
Tournament information
SportFormula E
Dates28 January–25 March 2021
AdministratorrFactor 2
Formula E
Tournament
format(s)
Open Qualifiers:
  • Online
  • Entry Period: 7–13 January 2021[1]
  • Top 3 fastest drivers will receive an invite to participate in Formula E Accelerate.[2]

Race:

  • Six race competition with each race lasts for 25 minutes[2]
VenueOnline
Final positions
ChampionsDenmark Frederik Rasmussen
1st runners-upNorth Macedonia Erhan Jajovski
2nd runners-upSlovenia Kevin Siggy
← N/A
2022 →

The competition is run on the platform rFactor 2 platform,[4] with seat time at home for competitors, with additional venue events for some rounds. The championship grid is made up of esports teams associated with the manufacturers from the real-world ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with drivers who are selected through early qualification rounds to represent those teams.

The competition is broadcast on various Formula E social and streaming platforms, such as Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube.

The championship offers a €100,000 prize-pool and some real-world seat-time with laps in a Gen2 Formula E car.[5][6]

2021

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In the inaugural 2021 season, over 600 professional sim drivers in addition to plenty of talented gamers entered the qualifiers in January 2021, competing for seats in 12 official teams.

Danish sim racer Frederik Rasmussen was crowned as the 2021 Formula E: Accelerate Champion ahead of Erhan Jajovski, taking the €20,000 top prize and a drive in a real Gen2 Formula E car.[7][8] ROKiT Venturi Racing secured the Teams' Championship Title, finishing 36 points clear of the field.[9]

2022

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The 2022 season added VIP tickets to the Seoul e-Prix to the prize, this time with six rounds of the qualifying competitions, known as "the Road to the London Final," to reduce the field down to a conventional grid size matching the real-world series. This grid then raced at a final round held at the London e-Prix.[10] The six qualifying rounds were held at the virtual versions of Rome, Monaco, Berlin, Jakarta, Vancouver, and New York.[10] Frederik Rasmussen won driving for Dragon/Penske with Jarno Opmeer second for Mercedes-EQ.

2023

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For 2023 the prize pool was reduced to €40,000, with two open qualifying rounds taking place remotely at the virtual versions of Berlin and Rome, but on the same weeks as the real-world rounds. The top 88 drivers from open qualification will go forward into Qualifying races at the same circuits. The top 11 from each event will then make up the 22-car grid for the final to be held at the London e-Prix.[11] The championship will use Gen 3 cars.[12]

Drivers

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2021

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Team Race drivers
No. Driver name Rounds
  Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 33
11
11
  Manuel Biancolilla
  Kelvin van der Linde
  Michi Hoyer[13][14]
All
1–2, 5–6
3–4
  BMW i Andretti Motorsport 28
27
  Kevin Siggy
  Petar Brljak
All
All
  DS Techeetah 25
13
  Nikodem Wisniewski
  Arthur Lehouck
All
All
  Dragon / Penske Autosport 7
6
  Frederik Rasmussen
  Peyo Peev
All
All
  Envision Virgin Racing 37
4
  Graham Carroll
  Tímea Bencsik
All
All
  Jaguar Racing 10
20
  Martin Stefanko
  Jakub Brzeziński
All
All
  Mahindra Racing 29
94
  Olli Pahkala
  Lucas Mueller
All
All
  Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team 17
5
  Jarno Opmeer
  Bono Huis
All
All
  NIO 333 FE Team 88
8
  Risto Kappet
  Jiayu Zhang
All
All
  Nissan e.dams 23
22
  Marc Gassner
  Jan von der Heyde
All
All
  ROKiT Venturi Racing 71
48
  Erhan Jajovski
  Lorenz Hörzing[15]
All
1, 3–6
  TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team 36
99
  Marius Golombeck
  Jaroslav Honzík
All
All
Sources:[16]

Calendar

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2021

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Round ePrix Circuit Duration Date Broadcast
1 New York City ePrix   Brooklyn Street Circuit, Red Hook, Brooklyn, New York 25 Minutes 28 January Formula E: Accelerate Round 1 Full Race on YouTube
2 Hong Kong ePrix   Hong Kong Central Harbourfront Circuit, Hong Kong 4 February Formula E: Accelerate Round 2 Full Race on YouTube
3 Berlin ePrix   Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit, Berlin 11 February Formula E: Accelerate Round 3 Full Race on YouTube
4 Diriyah ePrix   Riyadh Street Circuit, Diriyah 11 March Formula E: Accelerate Round 4 Full Race on YouTube
5 Electric Docks[17]   Lester Special – Electric Docks[18][19] 18 March Formula E: Accelerate Round 5 Full Race on YouTube
6 Rome ePrix   Circuito Cittadino dell'EUR, Rome 28 March Formula E: Accelerate Grand Final Full Race on YouTube
Sources:[20]
Note:
Fictional tracks are marked in cyan.

Results

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Season summary

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Round ePrix Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning team
1   New York City ePrix   Erhan Jajovski   Kevin Siggy   Erhan Jajovski   ROKiT Venturi Racing
2   Hong Kong ePrix   Erhan Jajovski   Frederik Rasmussen   Erhan Jajovski   ROKiT Venturi Racing
3   Berlin ePrix   Kevin Siggy   Olli Pahkala   Kevin Siggy   BMW i Andretti Motorsport
4   Diriyah ePrix   Frederik Rasmussen   Marius Golombeck   Frederik Rasmussen   Dragon / Penske Autosport
5   Electric Docks   Frederik Rasmussen   Jakub Brzeziński   Erhan Jajovski   ROKiT Venturi Racing
6   Rome ePrix   Frederik Rasmussen   Frederik Rasmussen   Frederik Rasmussen   Dragon / Penske Autosport
Note:
Fictional tracks are marked in cyan.

Championship standings

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Scoring system

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Points were awarded to the top 10 classified finishers in the race, three points for pole sitter and one point was given to the driver who set the fastest lap inside the top ten.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th   7th   8th   9th   10th   Pole   FL 
Points 25 18 15 12 10 8 6 4 2 1 3 1

In the event of a tie at the conclusion of the championship, a count-back system is used as a tie-breaker, with a drivers'/teams' best result used to decide the standings.

Drivers' Championship standings

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Pos. Driver NYC
 
HKG
 
BER
 
DIR
 
LES
 
RME
 
Points
1   Frederik Rasmussen 9 2F 2 1P 3P 1PF 143
2   Erhan Jajovski 1P 1P 4 2 1 4 135
3   Kevin Siggy 3F 3 1P 3 10 13 75
4   Graham Carroll 13 4 20 5 12 2 58
5   Jarno Opmeer 6 14 14 10 5 3 49
6   Nikodem Wisniewski 14 10 8 18 2 6 39
7   Marius Golombeck 5 5 18 6F 15 8 37
8   Martin Stefanko 20 8 5 7 6 9 32
9   Manuel Biancolilla 2 DSQ 7 14 8 11 28
10   Lorenz Hörzing 16 DNS 12 8 4 7 28
11   Jakub Brzeziński 15 11 9 11 9F 5 25
12   Bono Huis 4 15 16 4 DSQ 16 24
13   Petar Brljak 18 7 3 9 13 14 23
14   Risto Kappet 8 6 6 13 22 17 20
15   Marc Gassner 7 16 13 16 11 10 8
16   Jan von der Heyde 10 12 23 22 7 15 7
17   Olli Pahkala 11 9 10F 12 19 12 4
18   Lucas Mueller 12 18 11 19 DSQ 24 0
19   Arthur Lehouck 24 13 Ret 15 21 18 0
20   Peyo Peev 17 19 21 17 14 19 0
21   Tímea Bencsik 23 21 15 23 16 21 0
21   Jaroslav Honzík 21 17 22 24 18 22 0
23   Kelvin van der Linde 19 22 17 20 0
24   Michi Hoyer 17 21 0
25   Jiayu Zhang 22 20 19 20 20 23 0
Pos. Driver NYC
 
HKG
 
BER
 
DIR
 
LES
 
RME
 
Points
Sources:[21]
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green Other points position
Blue Other classified position
Not classified, finished (NC)
Purple Not classified, retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not enter
Annotation Meaning
P Pole position
F Fastest lap

Note:

Teams' Championship standings

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Pos. Team NYC
 
HKG
 
BER
 
DIR
 
LES
 
RME
 
Points
1   ROKiT Venturi Racing 1P 1P 4 2 1 4 203
16 DNS 12 8 4 7
2   Dragon / Penske Autosport 9 2F 2 1P 3P 1PF 167
17 19 21 17 14 19
3   BMW i Andretti Motorsport 3F 3 1P 3 10 13 134
18 7 3 9 13 14
4   Mercedes-Benz EQ Formula E Team 4 14 14 4 5 3 97
6 15 16 10 DSQ 16
5   Envision Virgin Racing 13 4 15 5 12 2 79
23 21 20 23 16 21
6   Jaguar Racing 15 8 5 7 6 5 59
20 11 9 11 9F 9
7   TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team 5 5 18 6F 15 8 58
21 17 22 24 18 22
8   DS Techeetah 14 10 8 15 2 6 49
24 13 Ret 18 21 18
9   Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler 2 22 7 14 8 11 34
19 DSQ 17 21 17 20
10   Nissan e.dams 7 12 13 16 7 10 25
10 16 23 22 11 15
11   NIO 333 FE Team 8 6 6 13 20 17 24
22 20 19 20 22 23
12   Mahindra Racing 11 9 10F 12 19 12 13
12 18 11 19 DSQ 24
Pos. Team NYC
 
HKG
 
BER
 
DIR
 
LES
 
RME
 
Points
Sources:[21]
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd place
Green Other points position
Blue Other classified position
Not classified, finished (NC)
Purple Not classified, retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not enter
Annotation Meaning
P Pole position
F Fastest lap

Note:

  • ‡ – Double points were awarded in the last race at the Rome ePrix, Rome.[22]
  • The standings are sorted by best result, rows are not related to the drivers. In case of tie on points, the best positions achieved determined the outcome.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Formula E: Accelerate Esports Competition Sparks Search for Next-Gen Electric Racing Stars". FIA Formula E. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Fomula E Accelerate Qualifier". Studio-397. 6 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  3. ^ "Formula E launches new Accelerate Esports competition". Autosport. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Formula E's new esports tournament features main series crossover rounds". Sportspromedia. 8 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  5. ^ "Formula E launches new Esports series, offers real-life test". Motorsport. 7 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  6. ^ "Top Three Formula E: Accelerate Qualifiers Stick Themselves in the Selection Mix Ahead of Round 1". FIA Formula E. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  7. ^ "Rasmussen in Disbelief after 'Massive Comeback' to Win Formula E: Accelerate, €20,000 and Gen2 Drive". FIA Formula E. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  8. ^ "Sim racers take to the track in the Gen2 Formula E car". FIA Formula E. 24 May 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  9. ^ "ROKiT Venturi Racing Wins Formula E: Accelerate Teams' Title". Venturi Racing. 26 March 2021. Archived from the original on 4 April 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Formula E: Accelerate esports competition offers real-world test". us.motorsport.com. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  11. ^ Finder, Grid. "Join Formula E | Accelerate Championship on Grid Finder | rFactor 2 PC Sim Racing League". Grid Finder. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  12. ^ "Formula E's esports competition returns with Gen3 cars". us.motorsport.com. Retrieved 2023-04-24.
  13. ^ @Michi_Hoyer (11 February 2021). "I am proud to announce to be picked by @abtmotorsport Formula E Team to replace @KelvinvdLinde as a one-off in the @FIAFormulaE Accelerate Series tomorrow" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ^ @audisport (11 February 2021). "Race day: Round 3 of #FEAccelerate in Berlin. The 90-minute broadcast will begin at 20:00 CET, including our drivers @Michi_Hoyer (#11) and @MB_Whitelilac (#33)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  15. ^ @Loozbert (5 February 2021). "Tough pill to swallow, misses out Round 2 of Formula E: Accelerate due to internet connection. Looking forward to berlin and let's hope for some points there!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  16. ^ "Grid full of esports stars confirmed with Formula E: Accelerate set to fire into life". FIA Formula E. 27 January 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  17. ^ "Dario's guide to the Electric Docks circuit ahead of Formula E: Accelerate Round 5". FIA Formula E. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  18. ^ Studio-397 (19 April 2020). "Formula E Test Circuit". Steam Workshop. Retrieved 30 November 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  19. ^ Jeffrey, Paul (20 April 2019). "rF2: Gen2 Formula E and Lester Special Edition Released". RaceDepartment. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  20. ^ "Formula E: Accelerate Schedule". fiaformulae.com. 27 January 2021. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  21. ^ a b "Formula E: Accelerate Standings". fiaformulae.com. 29 March 2021. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  22. ^ a b @FIAFormulaE (25 March 2021). "Formula E: Accelerate concludes on Thursday with DOUBLE POINTS on offer and amazing prizes to play for" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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