World motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, is organizing an Esports Global Rally Tour in 2026, utilizing the Assetto Corsa Rally platform.
Driven by FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem, the new competition begins next month with an online qualifier running from May 12-25.
From there the field will be narrowed to 56 drivers – eight from each participating region in Europe, Middle East and North Africa (MENA), North America, South America, Asia-Pacific and Africa.
Regional shootouts will then commence with a knockout format comprising quarter finals, semi finals and a final.
The new competition runs from May to December, categorizing drivers into regions
Sixteen drivers (two from each region except Europe which will have four “due to its higher overall number of FIA member clubs” along with two wildcards elected by the FIA) will progress to the grand final in Shanghai, where the top two will face off live at the Awards Ceremony.
The prizes for the contest are yet to be announced, but the winner will be pronounced an FIA champion. Competitors must be at least 14 years old and hold a valid international competition license.
FIA Esports Commission president, Niroshan Pereira, said: “Expanding the Esports discipline and connecting its fast-growing audience with our National Sporting Authorities to help reinforce their local initiatives is one of our key priorities.
“The FIA Esports Global Rally Tour truly embodies this vision and marks a significant step forward for the sport. I would like to thank our FIA president and the FIA vice-presidents for sport for their unwavering support, and I am excited to see thousands of drivers from around the world compete for a chance to showcase their skills in front of all FIA World Champions in Shanghai later this year.”
