The McLaren Formula 1 team’s esports arm – McLaren Shadow – has announced its line-up for the upcoming F1 Esports Series Pro championship today (7th September 2022).
Lucas Blakeley, the reigning Premier Sim Gaming League (PSGL) F1 champion, is teaming up with Iranian racer Bardia Boroumand for an assault on F1 Esports Series Pro, with Scotsman Wilson Hughes completing the team’s line-up.
Blakeley, who went viral after beating four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastien Vettel at the Race of Champions earlier this year, joins McLaren Shadow after competing for Aston Martin Cognizant Esports Team in 2021, finishing third overall.
The Scot also took to real-world racing this year in the Scottish Formula Ford 1600 championship, but the season was curtailed by a lack of entries.
Hughes is a two-time PSGL champion, and at just 17 years old has plenty of potential to improve even further. Boroumand is a seven-time Iranian Karting Championship winner, and 2021 was a breakout year for him in F1 Esports, as he netted two podiums on his way to fifth in the standings.
On paper, McLaren Shadow look like a match for the might of Alfa-Romeo, Ferrari and Red Bull, who have each already announced their F1 Esports line-ups.
Which team do you think is favourite for the 2022 F1 Esports Series Pro championship? Let us know in the comments below.
Featured image courtesy of McLaren Shadow’s Twitter