The full race stream had been watched more than 300,000 times in the 12 hours after the event, while other racers streamed the race to thousands of fans. Gamer aarava’s in-car footage alone was seen more than 100,000 times.
The Veloce event followed the All Star Esports Battle earlier in the day, which has so far attracted more than half a million views. Esports analysts Stream Hatchet said that the event, consisting of three heats and one final, had 90 per cent more live viewers than any previous esports racing event.
The races featured Max Verstappen, as well as Chip Ganassi Racing IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist, Formula E’s Antonio Felix da Costa, and veteran racer Juan Pablo Montoya.
Both races saw gamers take victory, with Jernej Simoncic, a regular winner on the esports circuit, finishing first in the All Star event. Verstappen was pushed into a spin at the start and finished 11th.
Daniel Bereznay, an F1 sports driver for Sauber, led from pole to take victory ahead of second-placed Jarno Opmeer, who races in the Formula Renault Eurocup, as well as for Renault in esports competition.
The field also included Norris, Stoffel Vandoorne, who now races in Formula E, Mercedes reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez, and Thibaut Courtois, the Real Madrid goalkeeper.