Motorsport UK FF1600 Esports Cup 2026 is open – The winner qualifies for the 2027 F4 Esports Championship

Craig Robinson, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 10/08/2026

If you fancied going pro in a sim-racing game, then look no further. Motorsport UK has opened registrations for the 2026 UK FF1600 Esports Cup, the feeder series for the British F4 Esports Championship.

How to qualify for the 2026 UK FF1600 Esports Cup

The path into the main championship runs through a pre-qualification Time Attack on iRacing. The top 25 fastest drivers at the end of the qualification window will be invited to enter the main championship. There is no entry fee and no Motorsport UK Esports membership required to participate in pre-qualification. It should be a strong entry point for those looking to compete.

Pre-qualification details:

• Dates: 9:00 AM BST August 24th to 11:59 PM BST August 30th, 2026
• Platform: iRacing, hosted in the Time Attack section
• Car: Ray FF1600
• Track: Snetterton 200
• Fixed car setup
• All nationalities welcome

Driver eligibility requirements:

To enter you must meet all of the following criteria:

• Aged 13 or over
• No more than 7,500 iRating on a Formula Licence
• Never held a Pro iRacing licence
• No affiliation as a driver, coach, ambassador or academy driver to any team that has competed in the British F4 Esports Championship

Motorsport UK has described the FF1600 Esports Cup as just the beginning of a wider talent pathway it is developing for aspiring drivers, with more information on future initiatives to follow.

The winner will earn an entry spot into the British F4 Esports Championship in 2027. In addition, prizes are up for grabs, giving players solid sim-racing kit, featuring:

• The winning driver will receive a Heusinkveld Ultimate+ Black 2-pedal set
• The second-place driver will receive a Heusinkveld One steering wheel
• The third-place driver will receive a Heusinkveld Sprint 2-pedal set

The Championship was introduced in 2023 as a dedicated pathway for non-professional drivers to showcase their skills on the same broadcast as the British F4 Esports Championship, using the Ray FF1600 car on iRacing.

2023’s champion, Henry Moore went on to win both the British F4 Esports Championship and the iRacing FIA F4 Global Championship title in 2025, while runner-up Dan Amor was also signed by a pro esports team. Subsequent champions Mark Fletcher in 2024 and Crofton Woodhatch and Jayden Sherwood in 2025 have gone on to have esports careers within their space. Others have signed with Red Bull, among other teams.

Motorsport UK is the national governing body for four-wheel motorsport in the UK, recognised by the FIA and overseeing everything from grassroots club events through to elite national competitions including rallying, circuit racing, drifting, hill climbing and karting across around 5,000 events annually. In recent years the organisation has expanded into esports and sim racing, developing structured competitive pathways like the FF1600 Esports Cup to bridge the gap between virtual and real-world motorsport.

Craig Robinson, Senior Editor

Craig began his career with Esports News UK back in 2015/2016, looking to write about a passion while studying at Manchester Metropolitan University. He stayed there for several years before moving on to other websites to begin his career after graduating. Now he's back, covering esports adjacent topics and UK stories.

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