27.04.2021

Racing Unleashed to open Racing Lounge in the Circle

Racing Unleashed is set to open a 400-square-metre Racing Lounge in the Circle at Zurich Airport from winter 2021/22. The Swiss esports start-up offers a taste of the thrills of virtual motor racing for all.

Motor racing for all
Racing Unleashed is completely immersed in the world of esports. Set up at the end of 2018 by Francisco Fernandez, a Swiss entrepreneur and founder of the banking software firm Avaloq, Racing Unleashed aims to make the very expensive world of motorsports accessible to the population at large. Monisha Kaltenborn, former co-owner, CEO and team boss of the Sauber Formula 1 team, has been leading Racing Unleashed since mid-2019. With her experience gained in the F1 business and at the head of the Sauber Group, she is driving growth at the start-up. Racing Unleashed operates several Racing Lounges in Switzerland and abroad, including in Madrid and Munich. Monisha Kaltenborn, CEO & board member of Racing Unleashed AG, commented: 'We are looking forward to this partnership with the Circle at Zurich Airport and to creating another Racing Lounge with international flair. Both partners offer worlds of discovery and excitement and share the same vision of 'digital first' innovation. We also have a shared aim of making the Circle's technology hub one of the foremost esports hubs in Switzerland.'

Innovation in the Circle
Stefan Gross, Chief Commercial Officer of Flughafen Zürich AG, added: 'Racing Unleashed is the perfect partner for the Circle. We are looking forward immensely to working together and this new partnership again confirms the importance we attach to innovation in the Circle at Zurich Airport. Besides the existing technology hub with our office tenants, we hope the Circle at Zurich Airport will become one of the foremost esports hubs in Switzerland. Partnering with Racing Unleashed is an important step in this direction.' Worldwide, esports rank as the fourth-largest sport, boasting some 454 million fans in 2019. In terms of revenues, the video games industry is bigger than the film and music industries combined. In Switzerland, too, the market research is clear: one in three Swiss women play video games at least once a week and one in twenty Swiss men watch esports without playing competitively themselves. More information can be found on the official website of the International Esports Federation (IESF).

About The Circle
The Circle is a commercial center jointly owned by Zurich Airport Ltd and Swiss Life AG. Since its opening in autumn 2020, the new district at Zurich Airport invites guests to discover the world of brands, and to relax and enjoy the ten restaurants and cafés. Two hotels belonging to the Hyatt group, a congress center accommodating up to 2500 guests, an outpatient health center of the University Hospital of Zurich, attractive office space as well as art, culture and education complete the wide range of services at Switzerland's largest national airport. The Circle, with its accompanying park, is a cultural and economic resource that extends beyond the airport region. The project was realized in joint ownership by Zurich Airport Ltd, holding 51 percent and Swiss Life AG, holding 49 percent.

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Flughafen Zürich AG published this content on 27 April 2021 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 30 April 2021 12:57:01 UTC.