- FIA is looking for promotional and organisational partners to further develop official FIA esports championships
- ‘Call for Proposal’ endorsed by H.E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA
The FIA, motorsport’s international governing body, has launched a special ‘Call for Proposal’ to seek out promotional and organisational partners to help develop the FIA’s global esports strategy.
Interested parties have until 17th August 2026 to submit their proposals, including championship concepts outlining potential formats, on-site venues, geographical scope and commercial strategies.
Although sim racing remains a popular pastime among motorsport fans, making it commercially viable is perhaps the biggest issue facing the FIA and other esports organising bodies. Despite patronage from four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen and several other high-profile drivers, sim racing esports remains largely an amateur pursuit, except in a few notable cases (F1 Sim Racing, for example).
The FIA has stepped up its presence in sim racing in recent months with the Assetto Corsa Rally-powered FIA Esports Global Rally Tour, which will feature a live, in-person final at the FIA Awards ceremony in Shanghai this December. Additionally, the FIA MENA Esports Championship also garnered 111 million views, with more than 6,000 drivers from 159 countries participating.
In 2024, the FIA also ratified an Esports Code to help national motorsport governing bodies run sim racing events within an FIA-endorsed framework.
Motorsport engagement
“Esports represents one of the most accessible and rapidly growing forms of competition, creating new pathways for people around the world to engage with motor sport,” stated H.E. Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA.
“This Call for Proposal marks an important milestone in the development of the FIA’s Esports strategy as we identify opportunities that will support sustainable growth and attract new audiences and competitors,” he continued.
“The launch of this public Call for Proposal marks an important step in identifying experienced organisers and promoters capable of delivering FIA Esports Championships that meet the highest standards of excellence, integrity, innovation, and audience engagement,” added FIA Esports Commission President Niroshan Pereira.
“Through this initiative, we aim to establish a transparent and ambitious framework that will support the sustainable growth of competitive Esports under the FIA umbrella while fostering collaboration across the wider Esports ecosystem,” he concluded.