Leclerc, Norris and Co confirmed for Virtual Chinese GP

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Formula 1 will hold the third race of its Virtual GP Esports series on Sunday, with Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Real Madrid's Thibaut Courtois among the sim contenders.

The online series, which aims to entertain fans during the sport's coronavirus pause, kicked off in Bahrain, where Renault junior Guanyu Zhou prevailed, and was followed by a race around Melbourne's Albert Park which was won by Leclerc.

In Sunday's third installment, the Ferrari driver will be joined in Shanghai by F1 rivals Norris, Alex Albon, Antonio Giovinazzi, George Russell and Nicholas Latifi.

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According to F1, a "host of other exciting names" will also join the grid, along with International footballer turned sim racer Courtois.

"I am really happy to be racing this Sunday in the Virtual GP alongside Alex Albon for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and to be part of the Red Bull Esports family," said the Belgian goal keeper.

"They've shared some tips with me and helped me train over the last few weeks so I'm now really looking forward to the race. I love the game, I've faced Alex a few times already on track and racing against other F1 drivers is pretty awesome.

"Practice over the last few weeks has seen me always around the middle of the grid so I'm hoping to get in to the points!"

Julian Tan, F1's head of Esports is so far delighted with the fans community's reaction to the online Virtual GP series.

"From an Esports perspective, the last Virtual Grand Prix was one of our most successful events we've ever put on, so it's great to be back and be able to continue building something that has proven hugely popular," said Tan.

"It's very important to us that we can give our fans something to look forward in these uncertain times, so to see such an impressive list of returning drivers is fantastic. We hope the racing action is just as thrilling and fun as last time out."

The action will start on Sunday at 6pm UK time (1pm EST - 7pm CET) and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1 as well as on YouTube.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.