F1 sim racer becomes first-ever esports driver to make Formula 2 cut

Professional F1 sim racing driver Cem Bolukbasi recently announced that he would be participating in the 2022 Formula 2 Racing championship.

Cem Bolukbasi is a Turkish racing professional who started his career in motocross in 2006. He subsequently switched to sim racing and has won multiple major tournaments in recent years, including the FR3.5 esports champion in 2020.

Cem Bolukbasi harbors the ambition of becoming an F1 driver and was signed by the Charouz Racing System for Formula 2. By doing so, he became the first Turkish Formula 2 driver and also became the first person to transition to the sport from esports.

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F1 sim racer Cem Bolukbasi makes history by becoming first Turkish Formula 2 professional

23-year-old Cem Bolukbasi recently participated in a Formula Regional Asian Championship campaign in 2021. He also participated in recent Formula 2 preseason testing with Van Amersfoort Racing and has plenty of experience racing in various F1 feeder categories. Bolukbasi claimed the following at the time of the announcement:

I’m really, really happy to join Charouz Racing System for the Formula 2 2022 season. I worked so hard to get an opportunity like this and first of all, I want to thank Charouz for putting their trust in me, I’ll do my very best to honor it.”

Cem Bolukbaksi also spoke about his F1 ambitions and outlined his determination to improve in the coming time:

I obviously cannot wait to get in the car for the testing sessions, after my first taste of an old GP2 car later last year. It’s as close as you can get to an F1 car and I’m fully determined to give my 110% to learn how to master it and prove my potential as a driver. I also can’t wait to start working with the team, the season ahead is going to be very long and demanding, and establishing the best possible relationship with all the guys is going to be crucial for the final outcome.

In recent years, Cem Bolukbasi has also tested various Formula 3 and Formula 4 cars. Charkouz Racing System’s owner Antonin Charouz said the following on the occasion:

It will be a challenging and exciting new experience for him, but he has already shown that he has the numbers to learn quickly and get some good results in some of the most competitive and difficult F1 feeder categories. It’s going to be a long and tough season with 14 rounds, and that could be something he can take advantage of. On our side, we’ll obviously do everything we can to provide him the best car and guide him in his learning path.”

The youngster's rise to fame as a sim racer has brought a lot of attention to the star, making it an interesting journey for Formula racing fans to keep an eye on