Owzat! England star Stokes to take to the track in virtual F1 grand prix

London, April 2: England cricketer Ben Stokes is in for a test of an altogether different kind after he was confirmed as one of the celebrity racers in the second virtual Formula One grand prix.

Stokes is one of cricket's biggest names but will now be pushing his boundaries against F1 pros Charles Leclerc, Alexander Albon, George Russell, Lando Norris and Nicholas Latifi.

The inaugural race in Formula One's Virtual Grand Prix Series, an Esports tournament filling the void in the absence of the usual race calendar amid the coronavirus pandemic, took place on March 22, with cyclist Chris Hoy, golfer Ian Poulter and ex-One Direction star Liam Payne taking part – the latter showing no control as he finished 17th.

Former driver Johnny Herbert – who finished in 13th – returns for a second shot.

Sunday's race, which will be broadcast live at 19:00 UTC on F1's official YouTube, Twitch and Facebook channels, is scheduled to last 90 minutes and will be held at the virtual Albert Park track, the venue often used for the Australian Grand Prix.

A qualifying period will determine grid positions, followed by a 28-lap race.