For the first time ever, 13th Man Sports has partnered with an Esports league to become the title sponsor of Hot Seat Racing League for both the Formula One and Formula Two series. The league takes place on F1 2020, the official video game of Formula One, but will be switching over to F1 2021 when the new game drops on July 13th.
Hot Seat Racing League is about to wrap up its second season after completing one 14 race season and one 10 race season in the second half of F1 2020’s lifecycle. If there is one thing that Hot Seat Racing League has not been afraid to do, it’s thinking outside of the box to find the most creative ways to make the league fun and entertaining.
Between seasons one and two, massive changes were made to the league, leaving the real Formula One teams behind in favour of custom cars and logos. That change is being reverted ahead of season three with one major difference, all cars will be on equal performance instead of realistic like they were in season one. This has been done to give everyone a chance to be competitive instead of being held back by their machinery. This is something that got season two champion, Marshmauro in season one when he struggles to score major points with the AlphaTauri.
“Partnering with 13th Man Sports could be a great move for both partners,” said Justin Mikel, one of the owners of HSRL. “We have an audience that tunes into our races that could be interesting in checking the podcast and website out. As well as they have an audience that would be very interested in racing and eSports in general. The first two seasons have gone beyond expectations. A little-known fact is Nick and I partnered up and tried starting a league and failed massively by rushing the foundation we set. So we cancelled that after 2 races and took more time to lay out what we felt could really work. We joined other leagues and used that experience to put together Hot Seat and now we are blown away by the progress and the potential is through the roof.”
“The league has been a great place for people from around the globe to get together and have a good time each and every weekend,” said 13th Man Sports co-founder Frankie Benvenuti. “A league featuring clean racing and a world-class community are a dime a dozen, but that’s exactly what Nick and Justin have been able to foster with Hot Seat Racing League. We couldn’t be more excited to work with them!”
“I’m super excited about this partnership and working with 13th Man Sports,” said Nick Seigler, the other HSRL owner. “It’s a unique opportunity for HSRL to grow as well as 13th Man Sports to explore a niche not many platforms dive into. Our expectations for this league have been blown away. The inspiration for this league started with us simply wanting to compete in a clean and competitive league. Most importantly, the buy-in from the community through these two seasons has been absolutely extraordinary and more than expected. I’ve never felt more confident about the direction this league is headed than I do going into season three.”
“Diversity, inclusion, and community [are what makes the league special]”, he said. “This really is one big family. We have drivers from all around the world and never has it posed an issue. In the Discord community, drivers are always pushing each other to improve. Whether that’s advice on track or slowing turning off driving aids, there is always encouragement from others. There is a lot of locker room talk between us, but it’s all out of love and we care for each other at the end of the day. These are people I would fly out to attend a race with in a heartbeat.”
Season three schedules for both Formula One and Formula Two have been unveiled and can be seen below.
There is still time to sign up before the season. To do so, simply contact the league through their Twitter or Facebook page and tell them you want to race in season three. All it takes is an Xbox, an internet connection, and F1 2021! See you on the track!