Le Mans 24 Hours Virtual: the most important race in the world this weekend takes place in a video game - article
In an already exceptionally busy period for car simulations, so much so that we have seen drivers used to real races engaging in exciting virtual races, this is undoubtedly the highest point, even if only for the names involved . It starts with several winners at the Circuit de la Sarthe such as the three-time champions Andre Lotterer and Darren Turner, the two-time champion Fernando Alonso and the F1 champions Charles LeClerc, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris. In short, for every car racing enthusiast it has all the air of an event not to be missed.
For Motorsport Games organizers, however, we imagine it is not just roses and flowers. If we think that convincing a handful of friends to take a ride in iRacing is difficult, the very idea of gathering two hundred drivers (and relying on two hundred different internet connections) makes you sweat cold.
Aston Martin puts his entire team at your disposal, as have other big names such as Porsche and Ferrari. "We have two hundred pilots and all their staff, the team managers and the people who help them," said Stephen Hood, chief organizer of the race, the forces Motorsport Games. "Then, yes, numbers are important. We are organizing the main event for esport in the world on the front of the virtual race, with people connected to the house from every corner of the earth. Of course, we have several plans B, C planes, plans D... we did the whole alphabet and even invented new letters. A lot of things can go wrong."
Motorsport Games has quickly gained experience with large scale events in these months of lockdown, by participating in the organisation of events of Formula e And NASCAR, but there is no doubt that The le Mans 24 Hour Virtual is a race of a completely different level, thanks to the presence of the staff of the ACO, organizers of the race in the real world. Directly from Paris, Le Mans 24 Hour Virtual will to key posts in some well-known names to fans, as the race director Eduardo Freitas. This race is not (only) a game, in short, and the riders are taking it very seriously.
To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings "In recent weeks, the world of esports betting has made giant steps," Hood said, talking about what happened recently on the front of the virtual race. "Things have moved very quickly, so much so that the perception of the people (even pilots and other professionals) is not always able to keep the pace. Regarding the drivers is definitely understandable, on the other hand in racing in the real world put their life on tv, and even here the approach is the state of competition in everything and for everything. There are viewers, sponsors, and is esports on a professional level. I was not surprised at the controversy, in short, but I don't think that everything needs to be super serious. We need to convey an idea of professionalism and make sure that in the race there are behaviors conscientious."
For the drivers to fast action, this is an appreciated diversion. "Obviously it's fantastic to have this opportunity, especially because we see how the stables are to be engaged," said Nicki Thiim of Aston Martin, the pilot already an expert in sim racing, thanks to the various competitions he participated in. "It must be said, however, that after a while you feel that something is missing, there is no thrust on the body, the adrenaline, the stress, everything that happens in a real race."
Always at home to Aston Martin, another veteran is Darren Turner won the McLaren Young Driver Award in 1996 and participated in the first approaches of the scuderia in the world of simulators of motor before use this experience to establish his own company, Base Performance Simulators. "The simulators have made great strides," he said. "The high level of immersion for games such as iRacing or Assetto Corsa it means that professional drivers are able to enjoy it."
and the simulations as they are indeed close to the actual racing? "When you drive a real machine, there are millions of stimuli that give information about what happens to the drive on which you are sitting down," Turner said. "All your senses are overwhelmed by the information they receive from your body, and feel physically, where is the machine and what they are doing. Drive like we do this weekend, instead, it means that you have what you see, what you hear and what you perceive from the steering wheel. Are only three directions so you have to focus on those even more."
Darren Turner is not new to the world of esports, has already raced in the Legends Trophy where he was face to face with drivers like Emerson Fittipaldi, Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button among others. Is not that so it is easier, of course, and the Le Mans 24 Hours Virtual will test the resistance as much as the real race. "There will be a different kind of tiredness," said Turner. "Mentally, it may be slightly more difficult. Then there will be the same level of adrenaline, but the emotions are not lacking in the virtual race, especially if the take with the seriousness that I think we will see over the weekend. Under this profile, I think we will be concentrated as if it was the usual race."
And to enjoy it to full you can try to simulate life as a spectator with a few tricks, maybe buying a little bit of French beer at a good market or planting a tent in the garden, but of course one wonders what will become of this new wave of esports once that the races will be back on asphalt around the world.
"I Think there is a return to our original goal, to make esports more intriguing and to build a structure to support them," Hood said. "He made me a lot of pleasure to see the willingness of drivers to participate in these events. There are people like Lando Norris that if he loses one, and there are riders with more miles under the wheels back to put the hands on the steering wheel putting in the game. Certainly it is an exceptional situation, and I would be a fool to think that can continue forever. I know that there will be a physiological decrease."
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"we Must take advantage of what we have achieved today as a launch pad for the future. That's why we focus so much on The le Mans. I would like to organize similar events in the future, and maybe keep up the pace among important events in esports, thus helping them to become fixed appointments. If we succeed, if we can use this time to build a solid calendar esports for the future, I think that could become the entertainment equal to that in the real world, if not more, for the possibility of introducing new games into the mix and see how you measure up against the drivers. It would be interesting, but it takes perseverance."
Will certainly be interesting to see what will happen in the next few months and where will this rapid acceleration in the field of car racing virtual key esports. For now, it is truly remarkable how the community of fans is supporting this event. When those 50 machines will be the road Sunday afternoon on the Ford Chicanes, accompanied by the epic notes of Also sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss right in front of the flags at the starting line, we are sure that many will be happy to see their favorite race recurrence indomitable this year, although in a entirely new look.
The race Le Mans 24 Hours Virtual will start at 15:00 on the 13th of June, you can find details on how to follow her on Autosport.com.
