In an enthusiastic uproar from the audience, Brendon Leigh took the win for the first ever F1 Esports Series. The 18 year old kitchen manager from the UK was considered toast as another racer took an early lead, only to have the title taken from under his nose by Leigh in the last lap.

Leigh hails from the team called ESPORTS+CARS, which was comprised of five drivers from the twenty qualifiers during the week-long event. The team took home the trophy, along with the multiple others that they have taken in the past 18 months.

Leigh, who brought the win in the end, humbly said, “I am so happy and emotional at the moment. This is an amazing moment for me and my sport. The two other guys on the podium are amongst the best in the world and I look forward to racing against them again really soon.”

Gotta Go... Really Fast!

Formula1 Racing has become a major phenomena for car enthusiasts over the years, but the past decade has seen a rise of the virtual options. F1 2017 is the latest in a line of officially developed titles that bring the players as close to the realistic edge as possible.

“During my year in motorsport I have felt a lot of pressure and today was no different," Simon Fitchett, performance coach of ESPORTS+CARS, said. "Brendon left it to the last minute to take the win, his calmness was exemplary. I have spent some time with the team to provide them with tips and strategies to allow them to deliver their best, and today Brendon made the most of that support that ESPORTS+CARS has provided.”

With the rise of racing games in esports, racing enthusiasts woke up to a video game being featured in their motorsports news sites. Brendon’s win is a win for esports as a whole.