What is Rennsport R1 and who is involved in the sim racing esport?

Over the last five years, the sim racing sector has skyrocketed in popularity with several motorsport series and tournament organisers hosting events on the virtual race track. Returning for 2025 is Rennsport R1, a sim racing competition heavily emphasising its esports offering.

The competition debuted in 2024 and the first round of the 2025 season has already taken place with several notable esports organisations and sim racing teams taking part. However, despite its notable teams, and inclusion in the upcoming Esports World Cup, the Rennsport’s competitive scene has largely gone under the radar.

So, here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Rennsport R1 season, including a closer look at its brand-new format.

Rennsport R1 is a sim racing competition organised by sim racing platform Rennsport. Released through early access in July 2024, the free-to-play title is developed by Competition Company and Teyon.

The competition features 12 teams racing across three stages with the aim of qualifying for the Rennsport R1 Major taking place at the 2025 Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The 2024 season was operated by ESL FACEIT Group. This season, the tournament organiser is not involved in running the competition. The reason behind ESL FACEIT Group’s departure from the event has not been disclosed.

For 2025, the Rennsport R1 season is split into a Seeding and Group stage alongside a Last Chance Qualifier, which is also taking place at the Esports World Cup.

The first three rounds feature all 12 teams racing to earn points to determine seeding for the Group stage of the competition.

Drivers compete in four knockout races with the top six qualifying for the semi-finals. The top six from each semi-final then qualify for a 12-car final to determine the eventual winner.

Rounds four to eight see teams split into four groups of three to compete in another set of races. Notably, the group stage will feature a promotion and relegation system.

A team that earns the most points is promoted to the group above with the team with the fewest is relegated to the group below.

The team that successfully wins Group A will automatically earn a place at the Major, while the Group D team that earns the fewest points is eliminated from the competition.

Elsewhere, qualification for the Major is determined by an overall points table. Teams placed second and third will qualify, while the bottom two are eliminated.

The six remaining teams will compete in the Last Chance Qualifier where three Major spots are up for grabs. As a result, six teams will compete at EWC.

Below are the 12 teams competing in Rennsport R1 this year: