Williams Racing partners with Racing Prodigy to become first official team

Williams Racing has become the first official team in the Prodigy Racing League™ (PRL), as created by Racing Prodigy who aim to make motorsports more accessible. The first real-world series is planned to launch in the autumn of 2024 in the United States.

This summer, Williams Esports, the sim racing arm of our team, will draft four drivers from among the 32 competitors representing 14 countries – aged 15 to 45 including two female drivers – to compete on its four-car, real-world PRL racing team.

The drivers, many of them elite sim racers, qualified for the draft by competing in one of the PRL esports events and competing at Prodigy Week.

These selected drivers will receive paid contracts from Racing Prodigy, to compete in its real-world racing series within the Prodigy Racing League, allowing them to pursue their dreams of a real-world racing career.

We are also excited to host the inaugural Prodigy Draft within our London Fan Zone, presented by Kraken, in Piccadilly Circus on Saturday, July 6 at 2pm BST.

Projected first round draft picks will be on-site to hear their names called by their new teams. The draft will be streamed live on Racing Prodigy’s YouTube channel.

“Williams is passionate about breaking new boundaries in bringing fans closer to motorsport and has a proud tradition of developing talented young drivers into race winners,” commented Marcus Prosser, Marketing Director, Williams Racing, adding: “So teaming up with Racing Prodigy makes perfect sense.

“We’re excited about this opportunity to work with sim drivers from a range of backgrounds and getting them ready to race for real.”

Racing Prodigy CEO David Cook continued by saying: “Williams Racing is one of the world’s leading Formula 1 teams, so to bring its expertise in real-world racing to the world’s first e2Real sports league is a major step forward for motorsports. “We have a clear vision to deliver the next generation of motorsports that is driven by our e2Real PRL league, built for access, transparency, fan engagement, and opportunities for all, regardless of socioeconomic background.”

In addition to the draft in London, we will hold competitions at our future Fan Zones across the world, inviting attendees to showcase their skills on simulators for a chance to earn golden tickets to Prodigy Week, qualify for the Prodigy Draft, and potentially race for the prestigious team in the Prodigy Racing League.

The initiative offers an enticing opportunity for motorsport enthusiasts to engage directly with the sport and transition from virtual to real-world racing.

The first season of esports in the Prodigy Racing League welcomed over 100,000 participants from more than 100 countries. These competitors, representing all walks of life, engaged in virtual racing competitions, demonstrating a high demand from drivers seeking a viable path to a real-world racing career.