Cem Bölükbaşı is a Turkish racing driver and former sim racer who, in 2022, became the first competitor to graduate from esports to the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
From esports to the grid
Bölükbaşı started in motocross as a child, winning a Turkish championship aged six. He turned to esports in 2017, joining G2 Esports' FA Racing and competing in the F1 Esports Series, and won the inaugural Formula Renault Esports Series in 2020. He then transitioned to real-world single-seaters.
Formula 2
In 2022 Bölükbaşı raced in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with Charouz Racing System — the first Turkish driver, and the first from the world of sim racing, to reach the category. At the Bahrain opener he qualified 20th and recovered to 14th in the sprint race. His campaign was cut short: his contract was terminated by mutual consent ahead of the Spa-Francorchamps round, with Bölükbaşı citing financial difficulties; Tatiana Calderón took over his seat. He did not progress to Formula 1.