The award will recognise the efforts of FIA Rally Star competitors in the area of digital communication and social media engagement. The award will be launched at the African Final being held at the Zwartkops Raceway in Pretoria, South Africa between May 27-29.

Apart from displaying their driving and simulator skills during the African Final, competitors will be judged on their community engagement prowess. Known as the Digital Motorsport’s R.A.C.E. Award, it will acknowledge Rally Star participants’ achievements in the areas of: Reach, Attract, Community and Engagement.

In Pretoria, candidates from 11 countries within the African region will chase their dreams of competing in the FIA World Rally Championship. The FIA Rally Star African Final is the third of six FIA Rally Star Continental Finals in 2022. The results of the Continental Finals decide six of the seven FIA Rally Star Team members for 2023 with the seventh member coming from an all-female final.

The prize for the R.A.C.E. Award winner in Pretoria comprises of one Playseat Trophy chassis, one Thrustmaster T300 Ferrari Integral Racing Wheel Alcantara Edition wheel and pedals, one Thrustmaster Gaming headset, one set of OMP Race gloves and one copy of the WRC 10 game.  

Digital motorsports will assess each applicant based on their personal growth under each pillar of the R.A.C.E criteria. This will be analysed from their social media professional analytical dashboards. More information about the R.A.C.E award can be found on Digital Motorsports’ website here.

According to Niall Maher, CEO at Digital Motorsports, the idea of the R.A.C.E Award is to broaden the appeal of the FIA Rally Star initiative through digital engagement. He commented, “Digital Motorsports is very proud to be a part of the FIA vision for an all-inclusive, all-access program for detecting young talent. The FIA encourages development in digital and esports sectors, which are key to engagement with new generations and will play an increasingly significant role in achieving diversity and true accessibility for all in motorsport.  We are completely aligned in this vision by combining our world-leading technology with a genuine desire for inclusivity, to embrace diversity across all sections of society. We are delighted to collaborate with the FIA on the R.A.C.E. Award to drive additional awareness and allow everyone to have access to a global motor sports community through our professionally operated online races and turnkey simulator solutions.”

Jérôme Roussel, FIA Rally Star Project Leader commented: “We are indebted to the invaluable contribution of our partners such as Digital Motorsports. Without their commitment and their energy, initiatives such FIA Rally Star would not be possible. The R.A.C.E. Award is a natural extension of our partnership with Digital Motorsports which seeks to grow our community engagement among our esports community. Through collaborations like this we aim to grow awareness and participation in Rally Star in the years ahead.”

About the FIA: The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) is the governing body for world motor sport and the federation of the world’s leading mobility organisations. Founded in 1904, with headquarters in Paris and Geneva, the FIA is a non-profit organisation. It brings together 244 Member Organisations from 146 countries on five continents. Its Member Clubs represent over 80 million road users and their families. | www.fia.com

About ESE: ESE is a Europe based entertainment and technology company focused on gaming and esports. The Company provides a range of services to leading video game developers, publishers, and brands by providing technology, infrastructure, and fan engagement services internationally. ESE also operates its own ecommerce channels, esports teams, and gaming leagues. In addition to the Company’s organic growth opportunities, the Company is considering selective acquisitions that align with its objective of becoming a dominant global player in esports technology and infrastructure. | www.esegaming.com