Ben, Author at Le Mans Virtual Series

From the latest report undertaken by YouGov Sport, the five-round Le Mans Virtual Series, which ran from September 2022 through to January 2023, recorded growth in TV and digital audience figures in almost every area.

The virtual racing series took place over five months on extremely detailed and realistic representations of iconic and well-known circuits in Bahrain, Monza, Spa and Sebring, with the finale to the season being held at the iconic Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans, France.

The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual on 14/15^th January brought together 45 LMP and GTE cars with 180 drivers from 41 different countries. Teams battled it out for a $250,000 series prize pool across the five rounds, with the competitors racing on 164 simulators worldwide – representing manufacturers such as Alpine, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, Peugeot and Porsche.

Despite a number of serious technical issues during the 24-hour event – which have been fully investigated and addressed, 37 of the competitors took the chequered flag in a dramatic and passion-filled event. No other major technical issues were experienced throughout the other four rounds within the closely-fought season.

An impressive, cumulative, audience reach of over 8.5 million via TV, OTT and digital audiences was recorded for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in a recent report by YouGov Sport. The worldwide viewership enjoyed a slick and commanding broadcast across each round, with the season finale played out on a 25-hour TV special seen in 68 broadcast markets across four continents on channels such as Eurosport, CNBC, Fox/Disney and Motor Trend. After incredible battles up and down the field between the world’s best professional and sim racing drivers representing elite esports teams, the Le Mans Virtual Championships were won by Porsche Coanda (LMP) and BMW Team Redline (GTE).

Some key facts and figures from the Le Mans Virtual Series season:

558 hours of content was consumed by the #LeMansVirtual audience
36 million social media impressions (Source: FIA WEC, ACO, LMVS and Traxion), +19% year on year
10 million video views (Source: FIA WEC, ACO and Traxion GG), +43% year on year
5 million total broadcast audience reach (linear TV/digital streaming (source: YouGov Sport) for 24H Virtual alone
Reigning F1 World Champion plus FIA F2 and F3 Champions took to the grid for the 24-hour event
Up to 227 drivers from 41 different nations – a greater representation than ever this season
40 full season entries split in two classes (29 LMP and 21 GTE) with +5 cars for 24H Virtual
Up to 164 simulators used in 38 different countries across the world (41% more)
356 laps completed by the winner, #2 Team Redline ORECA 07 LMP2 (Drugovich/Rosenqvist/Bennett/Lulham)
365,033 kilometres of racing over the five rounds, with technical difficulties only being encountered at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual
36,951 overtakes, making for compelling viewing
2,226 total pitstops, as teams crunched the numbers and implemented strategies

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, which is a partner in the Le Mans Virtual Series commented: “It is very encouraging to see that the Le Mans Virtual Series season was an overall success, despite some technical problems encountered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. We are delighted to see the popularity of endurance sim racing continuing to increase year on year, and we all look forward to the launch of the official Le Mans Esports game at the end of this very special centenary year.”

Gérard Neveu, Executive Producer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual: “On behalf of all of us at Le Mans Virtual Series, we want to sincerely thank all our competitors and teams who made this possible, our partners for their ongoing, loyal support, and the millions of fans who followed our events and who brought the social media sites alive with their comments of support, enthusiasm and fervour.

“When you look at the figures, the scale of the popularity of the series – especially the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – is clear to see. We are constantly pushing the boundaries of technology, of sporting excellence and organisation, and of what we expect of ourselves. Sometimes, as we have seen, this doesn’t go to plan but we learn from this and move forward as the future for the series is bright.”

The chequered flag has been shown for the 2023 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – the grand finale to this season’s Le Mans Virtual Series. The event’s 45 entries brought together 180 elite drivers from both the real and esports worlds. Together they represented 41 different countries, and raced on the legendary French track on 164 different simulators located around the world.

At the chequered flag 37 cars successfully concluded the world’s biggest virtual endurance race, with the first 6 cars completing 356 laps of hard racing. A total of 188,038 kilometres were covered during the 24 hours of racing and the winners today were the No.2 Team Redline of Felipe Drugovich, Felix Rosenqvist, Luke Bennett and Chris Lulham. In GTE the No.888 of Romain Grosjean’s team R8G Esports took victory, the Ferrari 488 GTE in the hands of Alexander Smolyar, Scott Andrews, Timotej Andonovski and Erjan Jajovski.

The race didn’t run entirely smoothly for many, however, with two red flag stoppages and a number of subsequent issues for individual competitors. To explain further we asked Gérard Neveu, Executive Producer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual:

Q1: We didn’t see any stoppages during the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual last year. What happened in this 2023 edition?

“It became clear within the first 7 hours of the race that we had some serious server issues which led to us showing the red flag on the race twice. After some initial investigation, it seems that some race competitors accidentally shared to the public the IP addresses connecting them to the server, which is not supposed to happen. This put us in a weakened position, and we were subjected to some security breaches which caused the global disconnection of all competitors. It should never happen if the IP addresses are well protected.”

Q2: Why were some cars given laps back for lost time, and others not?

“Within the Sporting Regulations (article 14.11) for the Le Mans Virtual Series it states that if four or more competitors suffer disconnections, Race Control will compensate any time lost by “giving back” the time in laps. This was done for the red flag stoppages and on other occasions. Where fewer than four competitors are affected by disconnections, it’s difficult to prove where the fault lies and therefore the rules state that laps are not given back.

“We obviously feel very sorry for all the affected competitors including Max Verstappen, and understand their frustrations, but we cannot change the regulations mid-race, even if it’s for a double World Champion who we fully respect, as this would be very unfair on all the other competitors.

“We have asked the rFactor2 platform to launch a full investigation to find out where these problems are coming from and of course we will look at our processes and guidelines to try and reduce chance of similar issues taking place in 2024.”

Q3: How did the event run otherwise?

“These problems apart we think that when we look back at the 2023 edition, we can have a certain satisfaction about what we have achieved in terms of bringing together this amazing field of competitors and top teams, and with the broadcast that came live from Le Mans Virtual Series’ studio at Silverstone in the UK to TV and digital channels across the world.

“37 cars took the chequered flag and millions of viewers followed us during the weekend. The race itself was really intense and competitive delivering worthy winners and champions. You know, the 24 Hours of Le Mans always delivers drama and passionate emotions, and this is the same in the virtual version, with some competitors ending up happy and some sad.”

Q4: And what about the Le Mans Virtual Series as a whole?

“As well as our Team Redline and R8G Esports race winners, we of course have crowned our series’ champions Porsche Coanda and BMW Team Redline. Over the five-race season 365,038 kilometres of racing have successfully taken place and – this race apart – we have had very few issues.

“It takes a huge team effort with many, many people involved in multiple areas and we want to pay tribute to everyone for their energy, persistence, professionalism and expertise, especially in light of the technical problems we had. Specifically, we want to thank:

Our competitors and fantastic grids, without whom this would not have been possible
The millions of fans worldwide who have followed these events on TV, online and on social media
The represented manufacturers, Alpine, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche
Our sponsors and commercial partners, notably Rolex, Lego Technic, Goodyear, Algorand,
Thrustmaster and Total Energies
Everyone involved from the ACO and the FIA WEC
The entire broadcast production crew including the commentators who talked, analysed,
interviewed and entertained from start to finish
Our Race Direction team led by Eduardo Freitas, Jimmi Allison and Federico Schiarra
Our official timekeepers Alkamel Systems
Mission H24 for their support of our Leading Car at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual
The sporting team led by Lewis Edmondson
The combined marketing teams
The combined media and communications team from MSG, ACO, WEC and TraxionGG
The logistics team
And very special congratulations and appreciation to the whole of the esports organisation team, led by Ben Rossiter-Turner for their professionalism, skill and execution in making the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual and all the other rounds of the series happen

Thank you all for being part of another great chapter in esports history and for all that has been achieved together. See you in June for the real 24 Hours of Le Mans and, of course, next year for the fourth edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.”

The 8 Hours of Bahrain race opened this year’s Le Mans Virtual Series, which came to a pulse-racing conclusion as Jesper Pedersen, Jernej Simončič and Damian Skowron from FLOYD VANWALL-BURST topped the podium on the stunning new-to-rFactor2 virtual track – the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. In second and third places were R8G Esports and Team Redline.

Cooper Webster, Yuri Kasdorp and Dennis Jordan from Oracle Red Bull Racing took first place in the GTE category over the 5.41km/3.36-mile long track. An exciting contest throughout on an incredible track, the day-to-night (finishing under floodlights) event featured:

A strong performance from FLOYD VANWALL-BURST crowning them the winners of the first race of the Le Mans Virtual 2022-23 season
An intense battle for 2nd between R8G Esports and Team Redline in the final few laps with R8G Esports coming out on top
Collin Spork from Alpine Esports and Jordy Zwiers from SF Velas Esports Team secured the fastest laps in the two categories

We’re sharing the highlights of the race for news interest–you can see the full post-race report below. You can also watch the official highlights video here.

Le Mans Virtual Series, 8 Hours of Bahrain – As it happened

8 Hours of Bahrain, the first of five rounds of the Le Mans Virtual Series, kicked off Saturday 17th September with 120 drivers across the LMP and GTE classes competing for victory. Star drivers such as 2021 Le Mans Virtual Series champions Jeffrey Rietveld and Michal Smidl, Formula E racer Sergio Sette Camara, and former 24 Hours of Nürburgring winner Sami-Matti Trogen all competed in one of the most hotly contested sim racing events of the year.
Bahrain provided clear, dry weather conditions throughout the 8-hours providing the perfect backdrop for entertaining and nail-biting racing
In the LMP classification, FLOYD VANWALL-BURST took first place with Jernej Simončič taking his team over the finish line. Simončič had a comfortable lead in the final few laps and saw FLOYD VANWALL-BURST finish with a total race time of 8:01:19.750.
Team Redline and R8G Esports provided a wealth of excitement in the last few laps with an intense race for 2nd place overall. Despite showcasing an impressive performance throughout the race, last year’s champions Team Redline had to be satisfied with third place.
Jernej Simončič from FLOYD VANWALL-BURST spoke after the race about the close race with Team Redline: “We were so confused by the Redline strategy. We were trying to make sense of it for one hour or so and in the end, it didn’t make sense but they still appeared to be ahead of us. So we knew that we just needed to keep going with our strategy advantage; we had 2/3 laps on them. We carried that and tried to strike in the end. Fortunately in the end I had the pace to make the catch for the lead.”
Collin Spork from Alpine Esports set the fastest lap in the LMP category with an impressive lap time of 1:42.606.

In the GTE classification, it was a dominant showing from first time Le Mans Virtual race winner, Oracle Red Bull Racing, with a final race time of 8:02:57.504. SF Velas Esports Team recorded a series’ best result for a Ferrari to finish in second, and BMW Team Redline came in third.

- Dennis Jordan from Oracle Red Bull Racing spoke about his teammate Yuri Kasdorp after the race: “Yuri was just on fire. What he did at the start was just incredible. In his first two stints, I have never seen anything like it, all credit to him. It’s his birthday today as well; he really made us win the race today,”

Jordy Zwiers from SF Velas Esports Team was awarded the fastest GTE lap with a time of 1:54.813

Three more races remain in this thrilling competition before the finale of the Le Mans Virtual Series season, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual on January 14/15, 2023, all of which will be held online on the rFactor2 platform.

Next Up: Round 2 – 4 Hours of Monza – October 8th 2022

Images from 8 Hours of Bahrain can be found here.

Le Mans Virtual Series, a joint venture between Motorsport Games Inc. and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), returns this September for more of the elite, endurance esports competition which has attracted world motor racing champions, captured global attention, and received plaudits from teams, drivers and fans alike. The announcement was made today at the official ACO annual press conference ahead of the 90^th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Last year’s successful Le Mans Virtual Series culminated in a thrilling 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in January 2022 with multiple, major motor manufacturers entering teams and F1 World Champion Max Verstappen and IndyCar Champion Alex Palou within the 200-strong driver line up. An impressive, cumulated TV and digital audience figure of more than 81 million (Source: YouGov Sport) was registered throughout its 5-month season.

Similar to the 2021/22 series, all five rounds of the coming series will be held online on the rFactor2 platform including the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, the climax of the premier endurance esports championship. This format allows teams to compete virtually on simulators located all around the world, for a total prize fund of US $250,000.

To allow more flexibility within professional drivers’ schedules – now fully restored after the disruption of the global health pandemic – a change has been made to the driver requirements. Teams must enter one professional driver in at least one regular round of the series (Rounds 1-4) instead of the full season.

The 2022/23 calendar features some of the world’s most famous and recognizable racetracks across three continents which will challenge drivers from the real and sim worlds, and thrill the millions of esports enthusiasts around the globe. New for 2022 is the season-opening 8 Hours of Bahrain, a more modern classic which fits in comfortably with the history and legendary status of Monza, Spa, Sebring and, of course, the most iconic venue of them all, Le Mans.

Giving their full and continued support to the Le Mans Virtual Series will be some of the world’s best known and most prestigious brands: Thrustmaster as Official Hardware Partner, Rolex as Official Timepiece Partner, Total Energies as Official Energy Partner, Goodyear as Official Tire Partner, Algorand as Official Blockchain Partner, and LEGO® Technic as Official Engineering Partner.

Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO, commented: “We are very pleased to have supported and followed the success of the Le Mans Virtual Series to date with, as its highlight, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. The link between real-life motorsport and esports is an essential element for our manufacturers and teams, and we believe it has an important role to play in attracting a new, younger audience both on and off track. We all look forward to another excellent season of esports competition.”

CEO of Le Mans Virtual Series, Gérard Neveu, said: “Last year’s Le Mans Virtual Series was extremely successful but we always aim for better! The audience figures and returns we saw in 2021-22 go a long way towards recognizing the support of our impressive portfolio of partners, the collaboration of elite manufacturers and the commitment of the best sim racing teams including our current champions, Team Redline. We are confident we will continue to attract champions from all different categories of motorsport and sim racing, and that we can produce another exciting and professional esports series for the massive worldwide gaming and spectator audiences to enjoy.”

The vision for the virtual series remains to be as prestigious and recognizable as the real-world FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans as its cornerstone event. The esports series will continue to use rFactor 2 as its platform, which is focused on the sim racing audience and provides a more authentic racing experience. Focus on increased race and strategy analysis and professional broadcasts of the races will further boost fan interest and engagement. As in previous years, FIA-licensed drivers and sim racing experts compete together in either LMP or GTE models. More details on the entry list will be revealed at the beginning of September.

The 5-round 2021-22 Le Mans Virtual Series, which was brought to a glittering conclusion last weekend with the star-studded 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, registered impressive, cumulated TV and digital audience figures of more than 81 million (Source: YouGov Sport) throughout its 5-month season.

The grand finale to the Le Mans Virtual Series on 15/16^th January brought together 50 cars with 200 drivers from 39 different countries, racing on 116 simulators worldwide in 28 countries on an extremely accurate virtual rendition of the iconic Circuit des 24 Heures in Le Mans, France. Heading a grid of famous racing names, and leading the charge in early stages was Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen, competing alongside INDYCAR Champion Alex Palou and motorsport legend Juan Pablo Montoya amongst others.

After incredible battles up and down the field between the world’s best professional and sim racing drivers representing elite esports teams, the event was won by Realteam Hydrogen Redline, with BMW Team Redline taking victory in the GTE category.

An impressive cumulative TV/OTT and digital audience of over 81 million (Source: YouGov Sport) enjoyed a slick and authoritative 25-hour TV special seen in countries across four continents on channels such as Eurosport, Motor Trend, L’Equipe Live and Motorsport.TV.

Some key facts and figures:

360,000 hours were consumed by the #LeMansVirtual audience
8 million TV/OTT audience (source: YouGov Sport)
2 million social media impressions (FIA WEC, ACO, LMVS) through the season
7 million video views (across FIA WEC, ACO and Traxion GG – Source: Hookit)
200 drivers from 39 different nations
50 cars split in two classes (29 LMP and 21 GTE)
116 simulators in 28 different countries
2 servers (1 main/1 backup) operated rFactor2 and 0 server issues
33,000 connections on the official Alkamel timing system (Source: Alkamel)
407 laps completed by the winner, #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline
Organisation team of 120 people including production, sporting, marketing, media and digital, TV, logistics

Gérard Neveu, Executive Producer of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual and Motorsport Advisor to Motorsport Games: “On behalf of all of us at Le Mans Virtual Series, we want to sincerely thank all our competitors and teams who made this possible, our partners for their unwavering support, and the millions of fans who followed our events and who brought the social media sites alive with their comments of support, passion and race-enthusiasm.

“These impressive figures and the quality of the events are clear confirmation that the Le Mans Virtual Series and the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual are now firmly established at the very top level of esports and sim racing. Let’s now get ready for next season and make it even better!”

A host of major broadcasters including Motor Trend in the USA and Eurosport Pan-Europe will televise this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual (15/16 January), bringing the exhilarating combined world of motorsport and esports to millions of homes across the globe.

A special TV show covering this unique event will be produced live from Paris and will include an expert commentary team made up of FIA World Endurance Championship lead commentator Martin Haven, esports experts Chris McCarthy and Lewis McGlade, motorsport commentator Ben Constanduros plus “pitlane” reporter Hayley Edmonds. Also in the studio will be current WEC competitor, 2020 Le Mans Virtual driver and FIA F2 and F3 commentator Alex Brundle to bring a driver’s eye to proceedings.

The 200 drivers – representing 39 different nationalities – taking part in the 50 cars (4-drivers in each car in rotation over the 24 hours) will be located in 28 different countries and this is fully reflected in the digital interest from broadcasters globally. The drivers come from both real life motorsport, including F1 World Champion Max Verstappen, and sim racing and combine together to show their talents in the virtual world.

Eurosport will cover the full twice-round-the-clock race live throughout its European region on Eurosport Player, and global coverage will be on Motorsport.tv. Also airing the full 24 hours on OTT channels in Europe will be L’Equipe Live in France, Sport 10 (pay TV) and RTBF Auvio (OTT) in Belgium, Viaplay in Sweden, Norway and Finland. Sport 1 in Germany (+ Austria and Switzerland) will show a special 44 minute programme on Sunday evening on free-to-air TV with a potential reach of 72 million.

Motor Trend will cover the full virtual race live in North America on its OTT service, while Star+ will show the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in Latin America plus Brazil. SuperSport DStv will take the broadcast live on its dedicated motorsport channel across Africa, thus extending the coverage to four continents around the world.

Finally, the ACO and FIA WEC’s official social media channels will be showing all the action live from start to finish, as will the Le Mans Virtual Series official website (www.lemansvirtual.com). The broadcast begins at 13h30 (CET / 12h30 GMT / 07h30 ET) and the famous French national flag will be dropped for the start of the biggest endurance esports event of the year at 14h00 (13h GMT/08h00 ET).

To view the full entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – Click Here

To view the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual Spotters Guide – Click Here

The biggest endurance sim racing event of the year, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, takes place this weekend (15/16 January) with some of motorsport’s biggest names including the F1 World Champion Max Verstappen competing alongside the crème de la crème of sim racers. The online event begins at 14h CET and 200 drivers will compete in 50 cars for 24 hours of hard virtual racing.

Leading the field away as the official “Leading Car” will be the LMPH2G, the hydrogen-electric racing car developed by H24Racing for the MissionH24 project initiated by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and GreenGT. As leading car and safety car, as was the case for the inaugural 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, the LMPH2G will head the field around the famed Circuit de la Sarthe course for the formation lap and will intervene to slow the pace during the race if necessary.

The Mission H24 project goal is a hydrogen class at the 2025 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Automobile Club de l’Ouest is working with leading figures in endurance, the manufacturers and technical partners, on the creation of a category reserved for electric-hydrogen-powered prototypes. MissionH24 and their team, H24Racing, are trialling the best technical and sporting solutions to compete in this category.

The electric-hydrogen solution employed in mobility is safe, reliable, controlled, and decarbonised and is one of the keys to the ecological transition of the transport industry. It is particularly well adapted to endurance racing which demands both high power levels and substantial autonomy.

To follow the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual go to www.lemansvirtual.com or you can find it on all ACO and FIA WEC official social media channels.

Miami, FL – January 7, 2022 – The star-studded entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, scheduled to be held January 15 & 16, 2022, has today been revealed and it shows once again the fascination, charm and lure of motorsport’s greatest endurance race. The race will be held virtually and on simulators located all around the world.

A glittering roster of drivers includes newly-crowned F1 World Champion Max Verstappen, an Alpine Esports team captained by (non-driving) former F1 and FIA WEC World Champion Fernando Alonso, plus 2021 INDYCAR Champion Alex Palou. Among the entries are former CART and IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Champion and former F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, racing alongside his son Sebastian Montoya in a Le Mans Virtual Series guest car, and INDYCAR’s Felix Rosenqvist – a race winner already this season and championship title contender who will have Verstappen alongside him in the Team Redline entry.

Single-seater stars on the list comprise ex Williams F1 young driver and Formula E star Oliver Rowland, Formula E’s Sergio Sette Camara, Indy 500 racer Sage Karam, Bent Viscaal, Felipe Drugovich, Victor Martins plus the W Series entry which features pro drivers Fabienne Wohlwend and Ayla Agren and their two female sim driver teammates, Emily Jones and Lyobuv Ozeretskovskaya.

Also on the entry list from W Series is Beitske Visser who has, in 2021, started to make quite a name for herself in endurance racing. A feast of successful names from the FIA WEC, ELMS, IMSA and GT racing worldwide will be on the grid: 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual winner Louis Deletraz together with his 2021 ELMS co-champion Yifei Ye, 2021 Petit Le Mans winner Gabriel Aubry, Job Van Uitert, Dani Juncadella, Arthur Rougier, WEC GTE Am champion Nicklas Nielsen, former DTM Champion Bruno Spengler, Porsche specialists Matt Campbell and Ben Barker, and current British GT3 champion Dennis Lind.

While the focus may initially fall on the real world racing stars (listed as PRO on the entry list), internationally-renowned esports stars such as Joshua Rogers (2020 24H Virtual GTE winner), Kevin Siggy, Bono Huis, Atze Kerkhof, Michi Hoyer, Jernej Simončič and Nikodem Wisniewski are just a few of the very talented and determined sim racers who will be combining with the pros to provide a true feast of competition and entertainment.

In total, 200 drivers have signed up to take part in the event, the finale to the Le Mans Virtual Series which brings together motorsport’s real life racers with the world’s best esports squads. In addition to shining a spotlight on the famous French sports car classic and providing 24-hours of top entertainment for competitors and fans around the world, championship titles and prize money are at stake for full-season competitors.

Further details will be revealed in the coming days about individual car liveries, plus how you can follow the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual on TV, online and on social media channels around the world.

About Le Mans Virtual Series

Le Mans Virtual Series is a global, elite esports series made up of 5 rounds which bring together endurance racing and sim racing’s top teams to compete on some of the world’s most famous racetracks. International FIA-licensed real-world drivers are teamed up with leading esports protagonists to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual which will take place live and televised at the Autosport Show International in Birmingham, UK. The Le Mans Virtual Series is a joint venture between leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world, Motorsport Games, and ACO-the creator and organizer of the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans and promoter of the FIA WEC. www.lemansvirtual.com

Round 1 4 Hours of Monza, Italy September 25, 2021

Round 2 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium October 16, 2021

Round 3 8 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany November 13, 2021

Round 4 4 Hours of Sebring, USA December 18, 2021

Round 5 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual January 15/16, 2022

About Motorsport Games

Motorsport Games, a Motorsport Network company, combines innovative and engaging video games with exciting esports competitions and content for racing fans and gamers around the globe. The Company is the officially licensed video game developer and publisher for iconic motorsport racing series, including NASCAR, INDYCAR, 24 Hours of Le Mans, KartKraft, rFactor 2 and the British Touring Car Championship (“BTCC”), across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, the Nintendo Switch and mobile. Motorsport Games is an award-winning esports partner of choice for 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E, BTCC, the FIA World Rallycross Championship and the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, among others. For more information about Motorsport Games, visit www.motorsportgames.com

The 500 Miles of Sebring, the fourth and penultimate round in the 2021-2022 Le Mans Virtual Series, came to a pulse-racing conclusion as #1 Rebellion GPX Esports and Augustin Canapino, Nikodem Wisniewski and Kuba Brzeszinski topped the podium at the legendary Sebring International Raceway in Florida, United States. In second and third places were #8 R8G ESPORTS and #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline.

Rudy van Buren, Kevin Siggy and Enzo Bonito from #71 BMW Team Redline took first place in the LMGTE category after an intriguing strategic battle with #91 Porsche Esports Team over the 6km / 3.7 mile long track.

The results mean an incredible finale awaits at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual on January 15/16. In the LMP2 Classification, the #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst now leads the #123 Team Redline by just half a point, while Sebring winners #1 Rebellion GPX Esports now sit a mere four points off top. With so little between the top teams, the stage is set for a three-way winner-takes-all battle for championship honours at Le Mans.

Over in the LMGTE, the #28 BMW Team Redline has extended its championship lead to 77 points, with the #91 Porsche Esports Team further behind in second place with 65.5 points.

Yet with double points up for grabs at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in January – across both classifications – there is so much still to drive for going into the biggest virtual endurance racing event on January 15/16 for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

A gripping contest throughout on the infamously bump-filled layout, the event at Sebring featured:

A thrilling action-packed battle for the podium in LMP, with #1 Rebellion GPX Esports, #8 R8G Esports, #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline and the #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst clashing throughout the race.
Intense drama atop the championship rankings as the #123 Team Redline received a drive-through penalty and dropped down the standings for causing a collision with the #888 TESLA R8G Esports GTE, before mounting an impressive comeback.
A strategic masterclass in LMGTE, which saw #91 Porsche Esports Team slip through into an early lead above the championship-leading #71 BMW Team Redline M8, but an incredible pit stop strategy and a brilliant drive from Porsche’s Enzo Bonito created a tense battle that saw them top the podium.
Isaac Gillissen in the #49 YAS Heat recorded the fastest lap time at 1:45.341

After the race, Augustin Canapino from GPX Rebellion Williams said: “It was a great job from everyone on the team and I enjoyed every lap of the race. It was a great drive from Niko [Wisniewski] to finish so strongly and now the car is in a really good position to fight for the championship in the final round.

Sebring presented the final challenge to teams and drivers before the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual race, which will be held entirely online on January 15/16, 2022.

The full season entry list for the Le Mans Virtual Series is littered with big names from real world motorsport. F1 World Champion Jenson Button, IndyCar Champion Alex Palou, World Rallycross Champion Timmy Hansen, and championship winners from many different disciplines such as Stoffel Vandoorne, Bruno Senna and Yifei Ye are just some of the internationally crowned and renowned title holders who are bringing their talents to the world of esports endurance racing.

Central to the success of this championship is the crossover between real and virtual and the real world drivers readily admit they lean heavily on the talents and experience of the sim drivers they are teamed with in order to achieve success. So who are these sim stars up and down the grid?

They are young, ambitious, dedicated and come from all over the world. Between them have a roll call of esports honours that many gamers can only dream of. We highlight just a few of the sim champions on our Le Mans Virtual Series entry list to demonstrate that this really is the champions’ championship.

In no particular order we have Josh Rogers, a German-based Australian who achieved victory in the GT class of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual 2020, driving for Porsche alongside Nick Tandy, Ayhancan Guven and Tommy Østgaard. The 2021 Porsche Esports Supercup Champion remains with Porsche Esports Team this year, Sage Karam in place of Nick Tandy in an otherwise unaltered line up, and they are challenging hard for their first LMVS 2021 victory.

The esports CV of 22-year-old Slovenian Kevin Siggy is undeniably stellar! A championship winner in touring, GP Masters, ABB FE Race at Home Series among others, BMW Team Redline’s Siggy has also had a storming start to his LMVS campaign. Two GTE pole positions from two races, a 2^nd place at Monza and a win on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit, the line-up of Siggy, Enzo Bonito, Lorenzo Colombo and Rudy van Buren is proving hard to beat.

Nikodem Wisniewski has been a pivotal figure in the Rebellion GPX Williams line up, one of the few completely unaltered since last year. The Pole claimed overall victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual 2020 with team-mates Louis Deletraz, Raffaele Marciello and Kuba Brzezinski, is an esports World Touring Car Champion, and a race winner in many different series on different platforms.

Crowned world champion in the prestigious Porsche Esports Supercup for the first time in 2020, 21-year-old British Red Bull Racing Esports competitor Sebastian Job fought off some of the world’s top drivers on the iRacing platform, his victory even more impressive because of the winning margin over 2019 champion Josh Rogers. Teamed with newly crowned British GT4 Champion Dennis Lind and Japanese hot shot Ryo Hirakawa as pro drivers, Job has yet to run in the LMVS due to other commitments. We can’t wait to see what he can do.

Bono Huis is a five time Formula Sim Racing Champion and, after proving himself at the top level there, the Dutchman has gone to compete in the iRacing GTE World Championship and F1 Esports. The 2021 rFactor2 Formula Pro Series champion and 2020 Formula Challenge Pro Champion took top LMVS honours at the 6 Hours of Spa recently with Atze Kerkhof and IndyCar star Felix Rosenqvist for Team Redline and his experience was a key part of that victory.

2021 GT Pro Series Champion and 2020 Formula SimRacing World Champion Jernej Simončič has proved himself to be extremely versatile, no matter what the type of car, and he’s determined to get to the top in endurance racing too. With Jesper Pedersen and Sergio Sette Camara the Czech claimed 3^rd place overall at Monza for Floyd ByKolles-Burst and moved up to second overall at Spa with Pedersen and Tom Dillmann. You know which step he’s got his eye on next!

The next round of the 2021-22 Le Mans Virtual Series will be the 8 Hours of Nürburgring on the Nordschleife circuit on Saturday 13^th November. Stay tuned to www.lemansvirtual.com to find out more and to follow all the action.

For further media information contact Fiona Miller, Miller Media & Communications, on +44 7770 371332 or miller.media10@btinternet.com

Nestled in the Eifel mountains in western Germany, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is one of the most famous circuits in Europe and has long been one of the definitive tests of skill, speed and endurance for automotive manufacturers and racing drivers across the world.

Now it’s going to host round 3 of the 2021-22 Le Mans Virtual Series on Saturday, 13^th November.

The 21 km/13 mile Nordschleife (northern loop) features over 100 corners, sweeping curves, rapidly changing weather, dramatic climbs and drops, and a straight over 1.6 km/one mile long…it is recognised as one of the most difficult and challenging tracks in the world. It is as unique as it is overwhelming. There may be other tracks, but there is only one true Nürburgring.

Built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg, the track has more than 300 metres (1,000 feet) of elevation change from its lowest to highest points. Three times F1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart nicknamed the old track “The Green Hell”, a name which has stuck through the decades and for good reason. It is fast and flowing, but drivers must proceed with caution as the blind crests and little run-off can easily catch out even the most experienced. And that’s before the rain, fog or even snow to contend with!

Between 1982 and 1983 the start/finish area of the original Nürburgring layout was demolished to create a new GP-Strecke, and this is now used for all major and international racing events including the FIA WEC which last visited in 2017. The shortened Nordschleife is, however, still in daily use for racing, testing and public access. “Touristenfahrten” (literally tourists’ laps) mean that anyone with a road-legal car or motorcycle, as well as tour buses, motor homes, or cars with trailers, can access the Nordschleife and see for themselves the famous Flugplatz, Fuchsröhre and Karussell.

So how will our Le Mans Virtual Series competitors fare on this legendary track, especially the LMP2 entrants as these cars have never raced here? It will be a leap into the unknown for many of them, but if you want to really see a master at work check out Timo Bernhard’s record-breaking lap of the Nordschleife in a Porsche 919 Hybrid here. Hold your breath for the lap of your life!.

When the Le Mans Virtual Series kicked off a month ago on Italy’s Temple of Speed, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, the Race Director had his work cut out to monitor and penalise some of the many suspect on-track moves.

Race director? For a game? Yes, and not just any Race Director! One of the FIA’s most experienced and respected figures, Eduardo Freitas is the official FIA Race Director for the World Endurance Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and numerous other championships across the globe. He, together with Motorsport Games’ Ben Rossiter-Turner and Lewis Edmondson, form the Race Direction panel for all five rounds of the LMVS including the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual taking place live at Autosport International in January 2022.

The Le Mans Virtual Series is the next level up in esports competition, with the stated aim of having the most professional and competitive virtual series grids and with real world synergies with one of the most high-profile international motorsport series, the WEC. This includes nominated driver line ups, with a defined mix of professional and sim racers, series’ partners representing some of the world’s biggest brands, quality presentation and broadcasts of the events, an event organisation team of the highest level and much more.

From the sporting side, teams and drivers have their part to play too. There are, for example, minimum and maximum driving times for each member of a line up, a strict limit to the number of people allowed on the server, driver briefings and a code of conduct which must be adhered to … just as in real life racing. Check out the full sporting regulations here.

While a racing incident or accident may not be as injurious in terms of physical harm as in the real world, in LMVS racing it’s not just a case of pressing escape and carrying on unaffected. The rFactor2 platform allows that damage will affect a car but that it can be repaired in a pitstop. The car will be driveable but may not perform as well as at the start and, in a series as competitive as this, every second counts. Penalties for misconduct range from a reprimand to disqualification with drive throughs or stop and go sanctions between. In endurance racing, the winner is all too often not the quickest car but the one which has played the smartest strategy and spent the least amount of time in the pits.

Finally, the code of conduct also applies off track and participants are expected to be respectful of organisers, fellow competitors and sponsors at all times. Obscene gestures, language, or offensive comments in any communication – whether on Twitch, Discord or social media channels – are not tolerated. We all recognise that racing raises the adrenaline levels and that the red mist sometimes descends when things go wrong but being part of a pro series means acting professionally at all times.

And that’s why Le Mans Virtual Series is a step up. It’s the very best of the best in all areas!

The second round of the Le Mans Virtual Series, a thrilling 6 Hours of Spa race, has officially concluded with Team Redline’s Felix Rosenqvist, Atze Kerkhof and Bono Huis taking first place overall. In second and third places were Floyd ByKolles-Burst and Rebellion GPX Esports. Rudy van Buren, Enzo Bonito and Kevin Siggy from BMW Team Readline took first place in the LMGTE category. Both classes were incredibly competitive, with the battles for first place in LMP2 and LMGTE coming down to the final minutes of the race. A tough fought contest on the rFactor2 platform, the event featured:

An incredibly close battle between Team Redline and RG8 Esports in the LMP2 class, with differing tyre and fuel strategies culminating in a P1 finish from Team Redline that went down to the wire
An equally close flight in LMGTE, which was dominated in the opening hours by Proton Competition and the other Porsche 911 RSR GTE teams, before the BMW M8 GTE of BMW Team Readline took first place with less than ten minutes to go thanks to fuel saving throughout the race.
Philippe Denes for Mahle Racing Team securing the fastest lap with a time of 1:58.894

After the race, Felix Rosenqvist from Team Redline said “In the end we have to thank the team with the amazing fuel saving strategy. There were some concerns about rain, but in the end it never came so we didn’t need to worry about it. It was so much fun, with these races there’s so much at stake all the time…”

Le Mans Virtual Series, 6 Hours of Spa – Post Race Report

6 Hours of Spa, the second of five rounds of the Le Mans Virtual Series, kicked off Saturday 16th October with 114 drivers across the LMP2 and LMGTE classes taking to the start line. Star drivers such as Indycar driver Felix Rosenqvist, FIA F3 Vice Champion Jack Doohan and IndyCar’s Sage Karam lined up for one of the most hotly contested sim racing events of the year.
As usual with Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, all eyes were on the sky as rain was forecast for the later hours of the race. However, dry conditions prevailed which meant drivers were able to push the pace on the soft tyre compounds. The lack of rain didn’t hinder the race drama, with a number of dramatic moments in the race, such as an unfortunate mistake from Round 1 winner Realteam Hydrogen Redline that saw their LMP2 car hit the wall and retire from the race in the first hour.
In the LMP2 Classification, RG8 Esports took the lead in the second hour and held the position for much of the race.
However, in the final hour a strong challenge from Felix Rosenqvist’s Team Redline proved too much, who alongside drivers Atze Kerkhof and Bono Huis took and held the race lead. They were followed 13s behind by Floyd ByKolles-Burst in second place, with Rebellion GPX Esports completing the podium – just missing out on 2nd by 0.4s!. Their second place finish means Floyd ByKolles-Burst now lead the LMP2 Championship by 2 points.
In the LMGTE Classification, the three Porsche teams of Proton Competition and Porsche Esports Team looked very dominant in the opening hours, challenging to own all three podium spots. However, as the race went on BMW Team Redline applied continuous pressure, challenging the race favorites and eventually securing first place with less than ten minutes to go thanks to fuel saving throughout the race. Porsche Esports Team took 2nd and 3rd, the No.91 Porsche Esports Team just 1.7s behind the winner. Porsche Esports Team and BMW Team Readilne now sit tied at 43 points each in the LMGTE Team’s championship.
The fastest lap in the LMP2 class was Philippe Denes from MAHLE RACING TEAM, who secured a 1:58.894 time on the 51st lap. Over in LMGTE, Charlie Collins in the Proton Competition Porsche 911 RSR GTE was the fastest with a 2:13.075 lap time which he drove on his 49th lap.
Felix Rosenqvist from Team Redline said “It’s been such a long preparation for this race. We all put so many hours in. In the end we have to thank the team with the amazing fuel saving strategy. There were some concerns about rain, but in the end it never came so we didn’t need to worry about it. It was so much fun, with these races there’s so much at stake all the time, when I did my two stints I was completely fried afterwards.”
Kevin Siggy from BMW Team Redline commented on the close finish in LMGTE “The final stint was very hard, with the fuel saving we had to do to get past the Porsche, but in the end we nailed the strategy and came out with first place. We ended the race with 0.4 litres of fuel, so it was very very close. After we passed the Porsche, it was about fuel saving as much as possible and making it to the end.”

Two more races remain in 2021, with the next round the 8 Hours of Nurburgring coming in 4 weeks, all before the finale to the Le Mans Virtual Series season, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual race on January 15/16, 2022 which will be held live at the Autosport International Show at the NEC in Birmingham, UK.

Round 3 8 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany November 13, 2021
Round 4 500 Miles of Sebring, USA December 18, 2021
Round 5 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual January 15/16, 2022

Following a successful start two weeks ago to Le Mans Virtual Series, the second round is now hours away. The second of five rounds for the 2021-22 season will be the 6 Hours of Spa Virtual, and the 38 prototype and GTE entries (entry list HERE) will be competing virtually on the infamous 7km Belgian circuit which includes such famous corners and bends such as Eau Rouge, Raidillon, Stavelot and La Source.

The live broadcast will feature lead commentary by the FIA World Endurance Championship’s Duncan Vincent together with Chris McCarthy and Lewis McGlade and will begin at 12:30 pm (UTC+1) (13:30 CEST / 07:30 am ET ). Full details of how and when to follow the broadcast and all the action is detailed in the visual above and below.

The first round of the esports world’s top endurance racing championship was an action-packed and incident-filled 4 Hours of Monza on September 25. With more than 2.6 million impressions on official channels during race week alone, Monza has set the stage for a wildly successful series, and viewers can expect even more thrills and excitement for the coming round!

The series brings together top level real life drivers such as Jenson Button, Alex Palou, Stoffel Vandoorne and Louis Deletraz and some of the world’s best sim racers to compete together in 5 endurance races of between 4 hours and 24 hours in duration and concludes with the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual which will take place live at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, UK in January 2022.

And here’s when you can follow the races, live and uninterrupted:

Friday, Oct 15: (all times British Summer Time)

18:00 Qualifying show live (not available on WEC or 24 Heures du Mans channels)

18:10 – 18:30 Qualifying GTE

18:40 – 19:00 Qualifying LMP

Saturday, Oct 16:

09:00 – 11:00 Warm up

12:30 Le Mans Virtual Series show live

13:00 6 Hours of Spa – RACE

For further media information contact Fiona Miller, Miller Media & Communications, on +44 7770 371332 or miller.media10@btinternet.com

The second round of the Le Mans Virtual Series is fast approaching and the 38-strong, star-studded entry list for the 6 Hours of Spa Virtual on Saturday, October 16 has today been revealed.

Whether in real life or in the virtual world, any race held at Spa is an event which never fails to deliver excitement, tension and drama. The 7km track always provides incidents and plenty of action, and the combined skills of the racing pros and sim experts will be fully put to the test on the rFactor2 platform’s excellent portrayal of the legendary circuit. Among the features which can be put into play by the event organisers are dynamic weather and, as unpredictable conditions at Spa are extremely common, this may well shake things up even further.

Leading the battle among the 21 LMP2 prototype entries will be Monza winners, Realteam Hydrogen Redline, with Jeffrey Rietveld and Michal Smidl being joined for this round in the No.70 by FIA F3 star Caio Collet as Dani Juncadella has prior racing commitments.

With the IndyCar season now over, ex F1 driver Felix Rosenqvist joins the series in the No.123 entry, as does recently crowned FIA F3 Vice Champion Jack Doohan in the No.11 Red Bull Racing Esports ORECA 07 LMP2. Both will be relying heavily on the talents and experience of the sim stars (Atze Kerkhof/Bono Huis in #123 and Alex Siebel/Dennis Nordan in #11) in their entries as they get to grips with the Le Mans Virtual Series.

After four hours of intense racing in the opening Italian round, a scant 2 seconds separated the No.22 GPX Williams Esports and No.4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst cars and both will be looking to maintain their good form – the experienced sportscar racer Tom Dillman replacing Sergio Sette Camara in the No.4 for this round.

No fewer than five manufacturers (Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Corvette and Aston Martin) have entries in LMGTE and Porsche will be hoping for a repeat of their Monza success. The No.91 Porsche Esports Team 911 RSR GTE retains the winning line up of Mitchell deJong, Mack Bakkum and Martin Krönke, as does the No.71 BMW Team Redline of sim star turned pro racer, Rudy van Buren, Enzo Bonito and Kevin Siggy which took a close second and will be looking for a step up on the virtual podium.

Indy 500 and IndyCar hotshot Sage Karam makes his Le Mans Virtual Series debut with Porsche Esports Team, as does Ryan Cullen in the No.87 GR Wolves Racing Porsche and current ADAC F4 champion Jonny Edgar who will be racing the No.111 Corvette C8.R for Red Bull Racing Esports.

The Le Mans Virtual Series brings together top level real life drivers and some of the world’s best sim racers to compete together in 5 endurance races of between 4 hours and 24 hours in duration and concludes with the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual which will take place live at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, UK in January 2022.

For more details on the championship, the teams and events go to www.lemansvirtual.com.

For further media information contact Fiona Miller, Miller Media & Communications, on +44 7770 371332 or miller.media10@btinternet.com

About Motorsport Games:

Motorsport Games, a Motorsport Network company, combines innovative and engaging video games with exciting esports competitions and content for racing fans and gamers around the globe. The Company is the officially licensed video game developer and publisher for iconic motorsport racing series including NASCAR, INDYCAR, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship (“BTCC”). Motorsport Games is an award-winning esports partner of choice for 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E, BTCC, the FIA World Rallycross Championship and the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, among others.

The first round of the Le Mans Virtual Series, an action-packed and incident-filled 4 Hours of Monza race, has officially concluded with Realteam Hydrogen Redline and drivers Dani Juncadella, Jeffrey Rietveld and Michal Smidl taking first place overall. In second and third places were team GPX Rebellion Esports and team Floyd Bykolles-Burst. Mitchell Dejong, Mack Bakkum and Martin Kronke from Porsche Esports Team took the LMGTE honours in a class that sees no fewer than five different manufacturers represented. They finished 7 seconds ahead of BMW Redline in second, and the No.88 Proton Competition Porsche. A hotly contested race between over 100 of the best sim racing and motorsport drivers in 38 entries, the event featured:

A close battle between Realteam Hydrogen Redline and GPX Rebellion Esports
Porsche Esports Team taking home the LMGTE trophy
Jeffrey Rietveld for Realteam Hydrogen Redline securing the fastest lap at 1.34.160

After the race, Dani Juncadella from Realteam Hydrogen Redline said “I think we had a really really smooth race. We had no incidents at all. Everything went pretty smoothly and that was the key,”

Le Mans Virtual Series, 4 Hours of Monza – Post Race Report

4 Hours of Monza, the first of five rounds of the Le Mans Virtual Series, kicked off Saturday 25th September with 114 drivers across the LMP2 and GTE classes taking to the start line. Star drivers such as Louis Deletraz (last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual winner), Sergio Sette Camara (Formula E), and sim standouts Michi Hoyer and Joshua Rogers, lined up for one of the most hotly contested sim racing events of the year.
The race played host to sunny weather with some clouds turning into a fully clear sky by the end of the race with 50% humidity and no rain in sight.
Strategy played a key part in the 4-hour race as teams had to deal with tyre degradation, a change in track temperature, and a decision on how long each driver competed for within the race.
Realteam Hydrogen Redline was the first to cross the finish line in the LMP class with GPX Rebellion Esports seven seconds behind and Floyd ByKolles-Burst following very closely just nine seconds behind.
The fastest lap in the LMP class was Jeffery Rietveld for Realteam Hydrogen Redline who secured a 1.34.160 time on the 44th lap. Over in GTE, Joshua Rogers for Porsche Esports Team was the fastest with a 1:45.329 lap time which he drove on his second lap of the race.
Dani Juncadella from Realteam Hydrogen Redline said “I think we had a really really smooth race. We had no incidents at all. Everything went pretty smoothly and that was the key. I think Jeffrey did an amazing starting stint then my teammate Michal took over the tires from Jeffery which is never easy when you are sitting directly in the car with someone else’s tires. Then towards the end, I just had to drive it home. It was a lovely race.”
Mack Bakkum from Porsche Esports Team commented “Mitchell and Martin did such a great job before I even got in the car that in the end, it was just about bringing it home. We did get a little surprise from Redline in the end when they skipped tires [at the last pit stop] but we knew even if they came out slightly ahead it would have been the worst-case scenario. These last two stints were very comfortable, which is nice and I didn’t have to worry about too much. Thanks, Mitchell and Martin for their hard work in the harder stints.”

Silverstone, September 24, 2021. The opening round of the Le Mans Virtual Series is just around the corner and here’s how you can all follow the action and, make no mistake, there will be plenty of action from start to finish!

The series brings together top level real life drivers such as Jenson Button, Alex Palou, Stoffel Vandoorne and Louis Deletraz and some of the world’s best sim racers (Michi Hoyer, Jan von der Heyde, Kevin Siggy and Nuno Pinto to name but a few) to compete together in 5 endurance races of between 4 hours and 24 hours in duration and kicks off with the 4 Hours of Monza Virtual on Saturday, September 25 (entry list HERE).

This is likely to be hotly contested in both the LMP and LMGTE categories, racing together on the same track at the same time, with a total of 38 cars and 114 drivers battling it out on an incredibly realistic Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

Le Mans Virtual Series has brought together a topflight broadcasters who will cover the whole series live and bring to fans, competitors and gamers across the world not only insights into what’s happening on track during the events, but also behind-the-scenes news, interviews and updates. The broadcast team will be led by Martin Haven, one of motorsport’s best known commentators and lead voice for the FIA World Endurance Championship, and he will be accompanied by Chris McCarthy and Lewis McGlade who both worked with Martin on the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in June 2020. Chris has gone on to become a much sought-after motorsport commentator, covering a multitude of different formulae, while Lewis has an encyclopaedic knowledge of sim racing and racers.

And here’s when you can follow the races, live and uninterrupted:

Friday, Sept 24: (all times British Summer Time)

18:00 Qualifying show live (not available on WEC or 24 Heures du Mans channels)

18:10 – 18:30 Qualifying GTE

18:40 – 19:00 Qualifying LMP

Saturday, Sept 25:

09:00 – 11:00 Warm up

12:30 Le Mans Virtual Series show live

13:00 4 Hours of Monza – RACE

For further media information contact Fiona Miller, Miller Media & Communications, on +44 7770 371332 or miller.media10@btinternet.com

www.lemansvirtual.com

About Le Mans Virtual Series

Le Mans Virtual Series is a global, elite esports series made up of five rounds which bring together endurance racing and sim racing’ top teams to compete on some of the world’s most famous racetracks. International FIA-licensed real-world drivers are teamed up with leading esports protagonists to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual which will take place live and televised at the Autosport Show International at the Birmingham NEC (UK). Le Mans Virtual Series is a joint venture between leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world, Motorsport Games, and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO)- the creator and organizer of the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans and promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). www.lemansvirtual.com

Round 1 4 Hours of Monza, Italy September 25, 2021 Online only

Round 2 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium October 16, 2021 Online only

Round 3 8 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany November 13, 2021 Online only

Round 4 6 Hours of Sebring, USA December 18, 2021 Online only

Round 5 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual January 15/16, 2022 ASI, Birmingham, UK

About Motorsport Games

Motorsport Games, a Motorsport Network company, combines innovative and engaging video games with exciting esports competitions and content for racing fans and gamers around the globe. The Company is the officially licensed video game developer and publisher for iconic motorsport racing series including NASCAR, INDYCAR, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship (“BTCC”). Motorsport Games is an award-winning esports partner of choice for 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E, BTCC, the FIA World Rallycross Championship and the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, among others.

As the first round of the Le Mans Virtual Series approaches this weekend, the 4 Hours of Monza on Saturday, 25^th September, it’s worth a quick reminder about the basic rules and regulations. The series brings together top level real life drivers and some of the world’s best sim racers to compete together on prestige tracks in endurance races from between 4 hours and 24 hours in duration.

A link to the Sporting Regulations can be found HERE, with some of the key points being:

A 38-strong entry list will be divided between two classes, LMP2 and LMGTE. Cars available are a Le Mans Prototype (LMP2 ORECA 07) or a Le Mans GTE (E=endurance) of which Ferrari, Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW and Corvette models are available.
The event will be run on the rFactor2 platform which features driver changes, dynamic weather, dynamic day/night transitions, multi-class racing.
Damage will affect a car but can be repaired in a pitstop. The car will be driveable but may not perform as well as at the start .
Full simulation includes the use of fuel and tyres.
Teams will work to create their own setups to optimise performance.
Each team must field a minimum of 3 of their nominated drivers, of which at least 1 must be a PRO (FIA International Licence holder). Drivers may not compete in more than one car.
Before each round there will be test days and a test race, official free practice sessions and
Drivers must complete a minimum of 10 laps (including a minimum of five (5) full timed laps) during an official Test Session or Test Race prior to each race.
It is mandatory for each individual entry to take part in the 1 hour test race with at least one of the nominated drivers, either sim or pro.
FIA Race Director Eduardo Freitas and Motorsport Games Race Director Ben Rossiter-Turner will be in Race Control to oversee racing conduct, procedures and rules. Penalties may be applied as in real life racing.

Follow all the action this weekend on www.lemansvirtual.com, on FIA WEC, ACO and Traxion.gg’s social media channels including YouTube and Facebook. More details on this will be released on Friday.

View the full entry list here

Silverstone, September 21, 2021. The entry list for the opening round of the recently launched Le Mans Virtual Series, 4 Hours of Monza, has been published (HERE) and the high level of both real life and sim drivers due to compete is a great indication of how closely contested the series is likely to be from start to finish.

Louis Deletraz (last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual winner and, with teammate Yifei Ye, newly crowned ELMS LMP2 Champions), Sergio Sette Camara (Formula E), Beitske Visser (W Series and WEC), Will Stevens (WEC and ELMS), Bruno Spengler (former DTM champion and IMSA competitor), Jan von der Heyde, Michi Hoyer and Nuno Pinto (multiple championships in sim racing between them) are just some of the well-known names from the real and virtual racing worlds who will line up for the start on sim rigs across the world. Bringing perhaps a ‘home’ advantage will be Porsche Esports Team’s Ayhancan Güven who is racing in the Porsche Carrera Cup at Monza this weekend and will therefore be participating in the LMVS event on site, joined by his sim racing teammates.

The race takes place this coming weekend on the rFactor2 platform at the virtual Autodromo Nazionale Monza and coverage will begin from 12:30 pm on Saturday, September 25. Built in 1922, the real Autodromo Nazionale Monza is the true Italian temple of speed and is unmatched around the globe for its history and the passion it invokes in motorsport fans. Expect no different from everyone involved in this new endurance esports series!

A total of 38 cars will battle it out in two different classes – 21 in LMP2, with all competitors using an ORECA 07 LMP2 model, and 17 in LMGTE with teams having a choice of Ferrari 488GTE, BMW M8 GTE, Porsche 911 RSR GTE, Corvette C8.R and Aston Martin Vantage GTE. Negotiating through the traffic at famously challenging sections of the track such as the Variante del Rettifilo (the chicane at the end of the pit straight), the Variante della Roggia and the Curva Parabolica will add to the tension and drama expected in the race.

Free practice sessions will be run on Thursday and Friday, with a one-hour test race taking place on Thursday evening to check servers, systems and communications for both the sporting and broadcast teams. Qualifying is on Friday September 24 from 6:00pm British Summer Time (BST) (19h00 CEST, 1:00 pm Eastern Time) with the session being broadcast live. All the race action can be followed from 12:30 pm (BST) onwards on the FIA WEC and TraxionGG’s YouTube channels, on twitch.tv/traxiongg, and on multiple social media channels. More details on these will be released in the coming days.

For further media information contact Fiona Miller, Miller Media & Communications, on +44 7770 371332 or miller.media10@btinternet.com

About Le Mans Virtual Series

Round 1 4 Hours of Monza, Italy September 25, 2021 Online only

Round 2 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium October 16, 2021 Online only

Round 3 8 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany November 13, 2021 Online only

Round 4 6 Hours of Sebring, USA December 18, 2021 Online only

Round 5 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual January 15/16, 2022 ASI, Birmingham, UK

About Motorsport Games

Motorsport Games, a Motorsport Network company, combines innovative and engaging video games with exciting esports competitions and content for racing fans and gamers around the globe. The Company is the officially licensed video game developer and publisher for iconic motorsport racing series including NASCAR, INDYCAR, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship (“BTCC”). Motorsport Games is an award-winning esports partner of choice for 24 Hours of Le Mans, Formula E, BTCC, the FIA World Rallycross Championship and the eNASCAR Heat Pro League, among others.

Author: Ben

Nestled in the Eifel mountains in western Germany, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is one of the most famous circuits in Europe and has long been one of the definitive tests of skill, speed and endurance for automotive manufacturers and racing drivers across the world.

When the Le Mans Virtual Series kicked off a month ago on Italy’s Temple of Speed, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, the Race Director had his work cut out to monitor and penalise some of the many suspect on-track moves.

And that’s why Le Mans Virtual Series is a step up. It’s the very best of the best in all areas!

Friday, Oct 15: (all times British Summer Time)

Saturday, Oct 16:

The second round of the Le Mans Virtual Series is fast approaching and the 38-strong, star-studded entry list for the 6 Hours of Spa Virtual on Saturday, October 16 has today been revealed.

View the full entry list here

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