Cem Bolukbasi will be the first eSport athlete to switch to Formula 2, with the Turk starting in the cockpit of Charouz Racing System later this year.
From the digital cockpit to the real thing: eSportsman and racing driver Cem Bolukbasi signed a contract with Czech team Charouz Racing System on Wednesday, becoming the first driver from the F1 Esports Series to make the jump to Formula 2.
“I haven’t had time to let it sink in yet,” says Bolukbasi, explaining regarding his career path, “If I had never been in F1 Esports, I would never have had the chance to get into a real car. I wouldn’t be where I am now. I think it’s very important to be the first player to do this because it can give people hope. “
In F1 Esports Series since 2017
The 23-year-old has been racing in virtual racing series for seven years, including the F1 Esports Series since 2017. A year later, Bolukbasi was signed by Toro Rosso’s eSports team, Red Bull’s farm team – in 2020, he won the Formula Renault Esport Series title.
Despite his success in sim racing, the Turk is also well acquainted with the real world of motorsport. As a child, Bolukbasi was already racing motorbikes and karts, and last year he also raced in the Formula 3 Asian Championship, finishing in the points in 13 out of 15 races – so his promotion to Formula 2 is by no means only linked to his successes as an eSports driver.
“We are delighted to welcome a brilliant driver like Cem to our Formula 2 team,” said Antonin Charouz, team owner of Charouz Racing System. “It will be a challenging new experience for him, but he has already shown that he has what it takes to learn quickly and achieve good results in some of the most competitive and difficult Formula 1 supplier categories. “
