AS IT HAPPENED: Watch the opening round of F2/F3 Virtual Racing

The Formula 1 Virtual Grand Prix series has been a huge hit with fans while the current F1 season is on hold – and now the Formula 2 and F3 drivers are getting in on the Esports act with their own races.

On Sunday afternoon, seven Formula 2 drivers and seven F3 drivers from the 2020 season, together with former F2 and multiple race winners Oliver Rowland, Antonio Fuoco and Norman Nato and fresh face Arthur Leclerc, took part in the inaugural round of Virtual Racing for both championships.

Presented by Alex Jacques, this maiden Virtual F2 and F3 event used the F2 cars on Codemasters’ F1 2019 game, and consisted of a 30 minute Feature Race – followed by a five-lap Sprint Race with the top-eight positions reversed.

The Bahrain International Circuit was selected as the opening round, with three more rounds to follow in the coming weeks (Barcelona, Monte Carlo and Baku).

And here is the full grid line-up:

To keep the racing competitive and accessible, car set-ups were fixed, driver aids were permitted (but optional), and damage was off. So check out the video above to see who came out on top...

And if that has put you in the mood for some more Esports action, don't forget the next Virtual Grand Prix starts at 1700 UTC (1800 BST) right here on F1.com.