The FIA World Motor Sport Council has approved the creation of a special Appendix to the International Sporting Code dedicated to the governance of esports.
Meeting during the FIA General Assemblies Week in Kigali, Rwanda, the WMSC — chaired by the controversial FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem — approved the measure as part of its Vision 2030 motorsport strategy, with a goal to create a regulatory framework for esports events held under the FIA’s banner or those of its member national sporting associations (ASNs).
While a seemingly simple matter on the face of it, the proposed “Appendix E” FIA Esports Code has a significant number of challenges. That includes fundamental definitions across the International Sporting Code as a whole which specify what a “driver” or an “automobile” is that simply don’t apply in esports — and matters like racing licence requirements.
The FIA is the first international body to actually take steps towards creating an esports-specific sporting code, and it comes after several years of the organization hosting its own esports events and some high-profile incidents in virtual sport.
Over the summer, the FIA staged the third FIA Motorsport Games, with the multi-disciplinary competition in Valencia including two different esports competitions this time round: an F4 event in iRacing and a GT event in Assetto Corsa Competizione. It’s also been behind the management of the motorsport discipline in two special Olympic events thus far, staged on Gran Turismo Sport and Gran Turismo 7.
A number of controversies arose during the difficult period in 2020 period when many pro drivers were more-or-less forced into sim-racing. This included rage-quitting, racist language, and one extraordinary case of ringing — where an esports driver was hired to pretend to be a pro in an online race.
While an Esports Code might help in such instances, in providing official guidance, the sport’s existing International Sporting Code has been under scrutiny recently. Perhaps the highest-profile incident is that of world champion Max Verstappen who was penalized under the misconduct clause, as defined in Article 20, under Article 12.2.1.k, for swearing during a press conference at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Given Verstappen’s love of sim racing, we’re sure he’s delighted at the possibility his hobby will be as regulated as his day job while he serves his punishment — also in Rwanda, working with junior competitors on an entry-level motorsports program featuring the FIA Affordable Cross Car — ahead of collecting his trophy at the FIA Prize Giving this weekend.
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