Formula One series zooms into view

"I started playing this game on computer in 2017, and have been practicing three to four hours every day lately for this championship," said Tang, who is a junior studying finance at Shanghai International Studies University.

Tang first fell in love with F1 after watching the 2004 Chinese Grand Prix, the sport's debut race in China, but it was not until two years ago that he truly immersed himself in its e-sports version－when he purchased a simulator for practice at home.

"I haven't decided whether to go into it professionally yet, but it's worth trying since I got this chance－my dream is being chosen by the Ferrari team," Tang said, adding that Chinese e-sports racers still have a long way to go to catch up with their Western counterparts.

Guillaume Vergnas, e-sports manager of Renault Sport Racing, said he was impressed by the performances of Chinese players given the relatively short time the country has been exposed to F1 e-sports.

"We will be looking at their performance and keep an eye on them in the draft," said Vergnas.