Max Verstappen Heads to Madrid as F1 Fans Flood City for Heineken Player 0.0 Global Final

Alex Harrington | Dec 13, 2024

World Champion F1 driver Max Verstappen plays Heineken 0.0’s first global game 'Player 0.0'. / Heineken USA

Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen is ready to crown the champion of the Heineken Player 0.0 Global Final, scheduled to take place during the GAMERGY event in Madrid, Spain this weekend.

This international gathering has become a nexus for both gaming enthusiasts and professional esports players and promises to merge the excitement of traditional sports with gaming. Verstappen, known for his love of sim racing (and obviously the four championship wins to his name), will take to the stage amidst an assembly of finalists vying for the title of Player 0.0 Global Champion.

The Heineken Player 0.0 Global Final is designed to mix sim racing and mobile gaming while promoting a core message of responsible drinking: "The Best Driver is the one who is not drinking." This initiative is part of Heineken's broader campaign, "When You Drive, Never Drink," which aligns with its corporate values surrounding responsible and safe beverage consumption. As an ambassador for Heineken 0.0, the Dutch champ will join the finalists in Madrid with a non-alcoholic beverage in hand.

GAMERGY, the host event, is an annual esports extravaganza held at IFEMA Madrid, which will this year run from December 13 to 15. This event features competitions across various gaming platforms including PCs and consoles. GGTech, the brand collaborating with this weekend, has swiftly established itself as a major player in the esports industry, recently securing a substantial investment of $12.4 million to bolster its expansion into North America and strengthen its presence in Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America. The company is also noted for orchestrating the Amazon University Esports series in Europe, reinforcing professional and educational opportunities in the esports sector. 

Cristina Carranza, Global Head of Sales at GGTech, discussed how gaming has changed in recent years.

“In the past few years, we have seen how the traditional sports and gaming ecosystems have come closer together in innovative and immersive ways," she said. “At our most recent GAMERGY México edition, we saw our tennis, football, boxing, skateboarding, and paddle activations being amongst the most popular gaming fair attractions. We are very excited to partner with Heineken in adding Player 0.0 to the digital fandom.”

GAMERGY 2024 will offer a tiered experience with activities ranging from the GAMERGY Open for amateur players to the GAMERGY Masters for those in the professional sphere. Highlighted games will include popular titles such as Valorant, Brawl Stars, and Rocket League.

Heineken’s partnership with GAMERGY sees the fun of gaming being mixed with a socially responsible message as they promote their 0% alcohol beer, Heineken 0.0, seen in the hand of Max Verstappen several times throughout the year.

Today, those involved with Player 0.0 toured the beautiful Santiago Bernabéu Stadium before putting in some hot laps ahead of tomorrow where the Red Bull driver will be joining them.