5 good reasons to follow DR1 Racing

This is the great attraction of this new type of racing. At ground level or up in the air, the drones fly every which way, and up and down. The goal: to be first over the finishing line. Laid out in a huge square space, the circuit is strewn with loads of obstacles, including raised sections, pillars and corridors. Each drone is fitted with a camera to give the spectator a view from the cockpit. The inaugural race took place at Sepulveda Dam, a setting that will be familiar to fans of "Fast and Furious". The race on 8 November is to be held in Los Angeles, after which races will be held in the world's biggest cities. Spectacle guaranteed.

Careful, fragile! The drones are supplied to the pilots by DR1 Racing to avoid major differences in performance and can reach up to 80 mph. They are very technically advanced, but they must be as easy as possible to assemble. Why? Well, there are loads of collisions, and these are often terminal for these small devices. Especially at those speeds. So the pilots must be able to get them up and flying again as quickly as possible.

To fly its machines, DR1 Racing has gathered together the 12 best pilots on the planet. One of them is Luke Bannister, and at just 16 years of age, he's the sport's true prodigy. This young Englishman became the world champion at the start of the year, from a field of nigh on 150 contestants. In the Champions Series, he will come up against top competitors like Bapu Madhu.

Drone pilots use a method known as FPV (First Person View). For the pilot, this is just like being in the remotely controlled vehicle. He or she has a clear view of the race and can respond rapidly to the changing environment. The process relies on a wireless camera on board the drone which transmits real-time images to the FPV glasses. This is why the races aren't broadcast live. Compilations of the best images received by the pilots mean that the spectator is able to have an experience that is close to that of the competitors. Total thrills!

The cream of the crop. DR1 Racing is the go-to body for drone racing and streams to 70 countries around the world. It brings together the best pilots for the best races in a world championship: the DR1 Champions Series, where teams from the US, Germany, Spain, India and the UK challenge for the world title. From 2017, it will be broadcast exclusively on Eurosport. You can see the inaugural "Invitational" race, to be held in Los Angeles, on Eurosport 1 on Tuesday 8 November, at 11pm. A mouth-watering event!