Formula One series zooms into view

Virtual version of world's fastest car race fulfilling the need for speed

Engines vroom and tires squeal as 20 Formula One cars jostle for position at Shanghai International Circuit. Commentators raise the volume when the action heats up at turns, and spectators clap for smart passes or successful defenses.

In reality, the racers are sitting in car-shaped simulators on a laser-lit stage, with their hands gripping the wheels and their eyes glued to screens.

Welcome to the virtual form of the fastest car race on Earth.

Last Sunday, Shanghai student Tang Tianyu took the checkered flag first to win the Formula One E-sports Series' inaugural China Championship at Hui Space in Shanghai Stadium.

The triumph earned Tang a prize of 135,000 yuan ($19,300) and a ticket to the Formula One E-sports 2020 Pro Draft in London later this year.