Following a thrilling season with the world’s best esports competitors, the Ferrari HP Esports Series made its last stop at Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, inside the all-new Ferrari World Esports Arena for the first-ever LAN showdown (5 December) where a long-awaited winner was appointed.
The final tied up an eight-month competition calendar for 2024, with stages hosted in EMEA, APAC, and the Americas (NA & SA), as the series continues to offer even more players the opportunity to experience the thrill of virtual motorsport.
Luke Whitehead, a 21-year-old promising talent from the United Kingdom, displayed consistency across all three races to secure his spot at the top of the podium.
An impressive achievement for Whitehead who, despite having been a last-minute entrant into the Final, did the double by taking overall victories in the Assetto Corsa and Assetto Corsa Competizione categories to become the 2024 Ferrari HP Esports Series Champion.
Aidan Walsingham and Russel Reyes came in as close runners up to round out the top three, while sixth placed William Chadwick was the winner of the third category in the Final which took place on the iRacing platform.
15 of the world’s leading sim racers qualified through multiple stages, with the winner of the Thrustmaster Community Cup entering as an additional wildcard entry.
Highlighting the series’ global appeal, the entry list included 11 nationalities with competitors spanning from 17 to 28 years old.
The young stars were assessed on the following key elements, with each driver receiving a score from one to five – one indicating developing performance and five representing excellences.
- Driver Pace: on-track speed
- Driver Skill: race craft and competitive instinct
- Adaptability and Flexibility: performance across multiple platforms
- Consistency and Resilience: ability to perform under pressure
- Media and Engagement: on-camera presence
- Ferrari Brand Synergy: alignment with Ferrari’s values and team spirit
It was recently announced that the three tracks to be featured at the LAN finale would be the Italian favourites across three different platforms: Mugello on iRacing; Monza on Assetto Corsa; and Misano on Assetto Corsa Competizione.
The judging was held under the watchful eyes of Tiziana Mecozzi, Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports Team Manager, Fabio Gama, Scuderia Ferrari HP Esports Ambassador and Isaac Gillissen, Ferrari Esports Series Champion 2023.
Luke Whitehead, Competitor and Veloce Esports Driver said: “It was a very good day, surprisingly successful. I didn’t really have any issues and didn’t seem to put a foot wrong. It was a lot of non-stop driving so I had to be on my a-game but it was a great result in the end. I’m happy to come out on top of such tough competition, there were so many strong drivers who put in brilliant performances so to be quick across all three sims was a massive challenge and I’m glad to have succeeded.”
The newly opened Esports Arena in Ferrari World Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, launched to the public in October 2024, and provides a cutting-edge venue for the highly anticipated finale. Taking place just next door at the Yas Marina Circuit this weekend is the closing round of the 2024 Formula 1 Championship.
