How seriously should Esports be taken?

As interest in Esports has increased during the coronavirus lockdown, the lines have become blurred between what's real and what's virtual - especially when some high-profile participants seem to be playing for laughs, says Luke Smith

Luke Smith Jun 10, 2020, 11:25 AM

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"Gaming" can be a taboo word in Esports and sim racing. As the pastime has become increasingly professional - and, in the case of motorsport, serious - to call it a game may provoke those invested in it to take great umbrage.

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris has previously said he was too embarrassed to reveal his playtime on iRacing, the premier motorsport simulation platform, which one would imagine stretches into days and weeks, if not months.

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Author Luke Smith

Luke Smith is Autosport’s Formula 1 reporter. Luke has been working in F1 as a journalist since 2013, initially alongside a History degree at University College London. Luke served as the lead F1 writer at American broadcaster NBC Sports from 2013-17 before spending two years as the F1 Editor for Crash.net. Luke joined Autosport for the 2020 season.

Luke is also a contributor to The New York Times for its F1 special reports, and has previously worked with Al Jazeera and CNBC, as well as hosting FIA press conferences. Outside of F1, Luke is a fan of sports and music, with an ever-growing vinyl collection, and has being bitten by the running bug in recent years. He also runs a surprisingly popular blog reviewing the often-terrible media centre coffee from his F1 travels.