London: The icy wastes of Antarctica are more likely to host a Summer Games than F1 ever becoming an Olympic medal event, but the motor racing series believes Esports could be a game-changer

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) last year recognised Esports as a sport and medals will be awarded at the 2022 Asian Games. There have also been talks with organisers of the 2024 Paris Olympics about the possibility of Esports featuring as a demonstration sport.

Sean Bratches, F1's commercial managing director, said that he had written to IOC president Thomas Bach after the German indicated 'non-shooter game' Esports could be admitted to the Olympics.

"I said 'this is what we're doing, we're re-imagining the F1 brand, we're pushing into new spaces that have not hitherto been touched and I'd like to have a conversation with you about F1'," said Bratches.

F1 has its own Eports Series with nine of the 10 actual racing teams - with the exception of Ferrari - involved in a virtual world championship that drew 63,000 hopefuls on its debut 2017 season.

Some F1 drivers are also active in the virtual world.