We are thrilled to reveal a new collaboration with Loughborough College and Motorsport UK that is designed to create fresh opportunities within the esports and motorsports industries.
This unprecedented partnership, which focuses heavily on education and development, aims to support academy-level racers on their journey to elite level, in both the virtual and real racing world.
Furthermore, our initiative will aid career advancement in off-track and non-driving roles, through skills training, immersion in the industry and work experience, to help a greater number of young people build successful, long-term careers in their desired field.
At Williams Esports, we will make use of the sports coaching and human performance programs we’ve devised to help Motorsport UK and Loughborough College identify high potential drivers, and incorporate training and competitive programs to boost their development, recognizing the growing role of simulation in real-world racing.
Students from Loughborough College visiting Williams Esports.
Williams will also work to improve delivery of esports and motorsport qualifications at Loughborough, by providing access to our resources and expertise in the esports business – therefore revealing career opportunities in the fast-growing esports industry and aiding learners in gearing up for successful careers.
On the other hand, Loughborough College will provide additional support in sports science and coaching to Williams Esports, whereas Motorsport UK will provide Williams Esports staff access to the resources and expert coaching at its real-world racing driver academy.
Loughborough and Motorsport UK will also team up to offer places on various courses to personnel from Williams Esports, including the Enhanced Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE), sports and coaching qualifications, and blended learning courses. These are academic courses delivered on a part-time schedule, which allow budding professional athletes to study alongside their training and competition commitment.
Our commitment lies in creating a pathway to the elite levels of our industry.
At Williams Esports, we are committed to having a positive influence on the long-term career prospects of our drivers and staff, regardless of their gaming performance commitment or their duration of active driving or playing career. We wholeheartedly believe this will bring esports, a market enjoying exponential growth in popularity among younger participants, in alignment with other professional sports in terms of responsibility and sustainability.
We also plan to bring a positive effect to professional esports by emphasising key well-being factors such as fitness, nutrition, sleep hygiene, sports psychology, mental health and education. With the backup and expertise of our partners, we aim to drive innovation and establish quality standards and regulation in this rapidly expanding sector.
Steven English, Director of Williams Esports, expressed his delight on the team being at the forefront of this industry-leading partnership, stating: “Our priority is to ensure that Williams’ influence in the gaming industry is impactful, particularly considering the age and goals of the participants and audience.
“We aim to spearhead the charge in the areas of responsibility, regulation, safeguarding and education for all those we engage with. This collaboration allows us to merge our collective shared values and goals to create a greater positive impact across our respective industries and networks.
“It’s a multifaceted partnership with numerous elements, but fundamentally, we believe that by working together we can significantly benefit those who are passionate about racing and esports.”
Jo Maher, Principal and CEO at Loughborough College, added: “This partnership presents a wonderful opportunity for the college to further fortify our esports pathway programmes by working together with the field experts, to the advantage of both our staff and students.
“We emphasize the use of specialized driver coaching and simulators for talent improvement, which allows our students to transfer skills from esports to conventional racing. We are already witnessing the success of this, with one of our students clinching victory at a race in the British F4 Championship this summer.”
Katie Baldwin, Motorsport UK Competitors Pathway Manager, concluded by sharing: “Esports is seeing a tremendous growth in popularity, with Discord now boasting over 150 million registered users.
“Numerous drivers are utilizing it as a training tool and are also appreciating it as a potential career path. Being a serious performance discipline, esports demands a structure to align it with other motorsport training paths.
“We are confident that our Academy members will notice a notable improvement in how esports can pave the way for a successful career, and also serve as an additional skill for individuals participating in track races.”
Williams Esports driver Will Tregurtha, who’s also a British GT driver.