Motorsport Games Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM) (“Motorsport Games” or the “Company”) today announced the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, the esports finale to the ever-entertaining Le Mans Virtual Series, takes place this weekend on January 14 and 15, 2023. The all-star entry list has attracted the interest of major broadcasters from around the globe including Motor Trend On Demand in North America, CNBC Pan Latin America and Pan Europe, Eurosport Player across Europe and M-Net SuperSport in the Sub-Saharan regions of Africa.  With broadcasters streaming the event digitally through OTT platforms and on demand services, this exciting and extremely popular esports discipline will be available to millions of homes across the world.

 

The event features motorsport and esports champions from all four corners of the world, including Formula One Champion Max Verstappen, who will be racing from Monaco, Formula 2 Champion Felipe Drugovich in Brazil and Formula 3 Champion Victor Martins in France, who will join IndyCar’s Romain Grosjean and Felix Rosenqvist, plus a host of real world and esports racing stars ready to take on the world’s greatest virtual endurance race. The full SPOTTERS GUIDE can be found here.

 

The storied Silverstone racing track in the UK will be the host venue for a special, live TV show covering this unique two-day event, and the studio will welcome an expert commentary team made up of FIA World Endurance Championship lead commentator Martin Haven, real world racing and esports experts Chris McCarthy and Lewis McGlade, plus highly experienced motorsport commentator Ben Constanduros.  A number of “pitlane” reporters will be based around the world to capture interviews and live action including Hayley Edmonds in Paris and current WEC competitor, 2020 Le Mans Virtual driver and FIA F2 and F3 commentator Alex Brundle in the UK.

 

The 180 competitors – representing 41 different nationalities – piloting the 45 cars (4 drivers in each car in rotation over the 24 hours) will be located on 164 different simulators across the world, and the digital interest from a wide variety of international broadcasters fully reflects the spread of drivers and teams.

 

Eurosport will cover the full 2-day event live throughout its European regions on Eurosport Player, and global coverage will be on Motorsport.tv. With a large number of successful esports racers hailing from Eastern Europe, the twice-round-the-clock event will be shown live in Croatia (Max Sport), Poland (Motowizja FB and SportKlub), Slovakia (Arena) and Ukraine (Sports TV Ch2), while countries such as Malta (TVMSports+) and Turkey (BeIN) will also broadcast live coverage.

 

Motor Trend will cover the full race live in North America on its OTT service, while TYC in Mexico will show the first and last hour of the event within the populous country. Mnet SuperSport and Africa XP will take the broadcast live across Sub-Saharan and Pan-Africa regions, thus extending the coverage to four continents around the world. Finally, live coverage will be aired in Fiji (FBC) and Singapore (delayed) on Singtel.

 

In addition to the live airings above, a wide range of territories will show a special 52-minute highlights show after the event, and information about these broadcasters including CNBC, Disney/Fox in China and Sport 1 in India will be communicated in due course.

 

The ACO and FIA WEC’s official YouTube and 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 12:15 GMT (13:15 CET/07:15 EST) and the famous French national flag will be dropped for the start of the biggest endurance esports event of the year at 13:00 GMT (8:00 EST / 14:00 CET).

Another star-studded ENTRY LIST has today been released for the third edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, the final round of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series season.  The event will take place on 14 & 15 January 2023 and will be held virtually, with the 180 drivers on simulators located all around the world.

 

The award-winning virtual event continues to be a huge draw for drivers at the top of their game in both the real and sim racing worlds. A fantastic line up of drivers includes two-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen, former F1 and current INDYCAR star Romain Grosjean, FIA F2 Champion Felipe Drugovich, and FIA F3 Champion Victor Martins. Among the entries are three-time World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx who will be racing with his son Seb – himself a Porsche Carrera Cup North America Champion – in the Le Mans Virtual Cup guest car. They will be competing with INDYCAR’s Felix Rosenqvist, a noted race winner in both the real and virtual worlds, and Luke Browning, GB3 Champion and Aston Marin Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year, together with many, many more well-known names.

 

In addition to real-world racing stars (listed as PRO on the entry list), internationally-renowned esports stars and former 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual winners such as Jeffrey Rietveld, Joshua Rogers and Nikodem Wisniewski are on the entry list, to name but a few. Also competing will be James Baldwin, recently awarded the prestigious Autosport Award for Esports Driver of the Year. The roster of talented and determined sim racers who will be combining with the pros to provide twice-round-the-clock racing, rivalry and entertainment is truly impressive and they have multiple esports championship titles between them.

 

In total, 180 drivers representing more than 40 different nations will be taking on the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe for the first event in the ACO’s centenary year.  Manufacturers officially represented include Alpine, AMG Mercedes, BMW, Ferrari, Peugeot, Porsche, with renowned drivers such as David Brabham, Romain Grosjean and Olivier Panis also fielding teams.

 

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.

 

All information on the event can also be found on www.lemansvirtual.com.

 

For further media information contact Fiona Miller, Miller Media & Communications, on +44 7770 371332 or media@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 elite esports squads to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.  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).

 

Round 1                     8 Hours of Bahrain, Bahrain                                        September 17, 2022

Round 2                     4 Hours of Monza, Italy                                               October 8, 2022

Round 3                     6 Hours of Spa, Belgium                                               November 5, 2022

Round 4                     500 Miles of Sebring, USA                                           December 3, 2022

Round 5                     24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual                                        January 14/15, 2023

 

About Motorsport Games:

Motorsport Games, a Motorsport Network company, is a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world. Combining innovative and engaging video games with exciting esports competitions and content for racing fans and gamers, Motorsport Games strives to make the joy of racing accessible to everyone. The Company is the officially licensed video game developer and publisher for iconic motorsport racing series across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and mobile, including NASCAR, INDYCAR, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship (“BTCC”), as well as the industry leading rFactor 2 and KartKraft simulations. rFactor 2 also serves as the official sim racing platform of Formula E, while also powering F1 Arcade through a partnership with Kindred Concepts. 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. Motorsport Games is building a virtual racing ecosystem where each product drives excitement, every esports event is an adventure and every story inspires.

Guernseymen racers Andy and Sebastian Priaulx will be taking on the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual (14/15th January) in the No.24 Le Mans Virtual Cup entry, teaming with sim racers Shaun Arnold (GBR) and Zoltán Várkonyi (HUN). Three-time World Touring Car Champion and multiple race winner in the FIA World Endurance Championship with Ford Chip Ganassi, Andy, has raced with son Seb once before in the prestigious esports endurance event in 2020 and both Multimatic-contracted drivers are really keen to have another go.  Seb is a current WEC driver and class winner with Dempsey Proton Racing and the 2021 Porsche Carrera Cup North American Champion. The Le Mans Virtual Cup is a 4-round competition which offers the rFactor 2 sim community the chance to race at a world-class level in front of a live audience, with a view to earning a seat in the main 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual at the end of the season. Shaun Arnold and Zoltán Várkonyi are the successful entrants who will be taking the big step onto the world stage in the coming 24-hour event. The full entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will be released tomorrow (5th January) at 2pm GMT/3pm CET/9am ET and expect to see a star-studded roster of names competing alongside the celebrated father-son pairing from the Channel Islands.Keep up to speed with all the latest news from the Le Mans Virtual Series at lemansvirtual.com and @LeMansVirtual across Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

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 elite esports squads to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.  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).

Round 1 – 8 Hours of Bahrain, Bahrain                                 September 17, 2022Round 2 – 4 Hours of Monza, Italy                                         October 8, 2022Round 3 – 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium                                       November 5, 2022Round 4 – 500 Miles of Sebring, USA                                    December 3, 2022Round 5 – 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual                                 January 14/15, 2023

The entry list for the 500 Miles of Sebring, fourth round of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series – the global, elite endurance esports series and a joint venture between Motorsport Games Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM) (“Motorsport Games”) and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (“ACO”) – has today been revealed. With a full field of 40 cars, the complete roster for the 500 Mile-event (approximately 4 hours) can be found HERE.  The race will take place on Saturday, December 3 and is the final round before the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in January.

 

The list features standout names from the real world of motorsport, including Team Redline’s two-time Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen, former F1 and current INDYCAR star Romain Grosjean and W Series and sportscar racing’s Beitske Visser for Mahle Racing Team, plus many more representing the most prestigious automotive manufacturers in the world. They are joined by elite esports squads from around the globe, and gaming stars such as Jeffrey Rietveld (Team Redline), Josh Rogers and Tommy Østgaard from Porsche Coanda Esports, and Lorenzo Arisi from Ferrari’s SIM Maranello entry.

 

Many teams are taking the opportunity to field pro drivers who will use the 500 Miles of Sebring as a prologue for Le Mans, giving them an opportunity to re-familiarise themselves with the fFactor2 platform and the increasingly competitive entrants. With just one round to go before the finale of the Le Mans Virtual Series, the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual (January 14-15), Team Redline leads the LMP Points classification from Floyd Vanwall Burst and BMW Team Redline heads Oracle Red Bull Racing in the GTE category’s points leader board. There is all to play for in each of the two categories and endurance esports laurels at stake together with the US$ 250 000 prize pool.

 

 

 

 

The race takes place on the technically tricky and virtually bumpy Sebring International Raceway, and full, uninterrupted coverage will begin from 12:30 pm (GMT / 7:30 am ET) on Saturday, December 3.  The Florida track is unmatched for its history, especially in endurance racing, and the passion it invokes in motorsport fans – real or virtual. Be sure that plenty of action will be in store!

 

Qualifying is on Friday, December 2, and all race action can be followed on the FIA WEC, Le Mans and TraxionGG’s YouTube channels, on twitch.tv/traxiongg, and on multiple social media channels.

The legendary Spa-Francorchamps track in Belgium has long been at the top of the “favourite” list for drivers throughout the world, and the 6 Hours of Spa – third round of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series – has enticed some big names to the entry list which is revealed HERE.

 

Two-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen will compete in the #1 Team Redline LMP entry (Verstappen/Rietveld/Benecke) for the first time this season, and he will be joined by R8G Esports Team Owner and INDYCAR star Romain Grosjean who will be driving the #18 R8G Esports LMP car (Grosjean/Hemmingsen/Ozyildorim) on the increasingly-strong grid.

 

LMP Championship leaders Floyd Vanwall-Burst (Viscaal/Simončič/Pedersen) will be looking to stretch out its narrow 2-point advantage over Team Redline, while in the hotly-contested GTE category the Oracle Red Bull Racing team (Kasdorp/Siebel/Jordan) will be planning to put its disastrous Monza showing into the background and return its Porsche to its Bahrain-winning form.  BMW Team Redline and SF Velas Esports (Ferrari) are close behind and all the manufacturer-led teams will have their eye on victory.

 

The race takes place on the rFactor2 platform on the virtual, fast and technically challenging 4.35 mile/7km long Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and full, uninterrupted coverage will begin from 12:30 pm (GMT/13:30 CET) on Saturday, November 5.  Expect some fireworks, hot track action and maybe some rain…a probability at Spa in the real world, whatever the season!

 

A total of 40 cars will battle it out in two different classes – 24 in LMP, with all competitors using an ORECA 07 LMP2 model, and 16 in GTE with teams having a choice of Ferrari, BMW, Porsche and Aston Martin Vantage models.  Manufacturer support also comes to teams representing Alpine and Mercedes AMG.

 

Qualifying is on Friday, November 4, and all race action can be followed on the FIA WEC, Le Mans and TraxionGG’s YouTube channels, on twitch.tv/traxiongg, and on social multiple social media channels.

 

For further media information contact Fiona Miller, Miller Media & Communications, on +44 7770 371332 or media@lemansvirtual.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 elite esports squads to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.  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).

 

Round 1                     8 Hours of Bahrain, Bahrain                                        September 17, 2022

Round 2                     4 Hours of Monza, Italy                                               October 8, 2022

Round 3                     6 Hours of Spa, Belgium                                               November 5, 2022

Round 4                     500 Miles of Sebring, USA                                           December 3, 2022

Round 5                     24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual                                        January 14/15, 2023

Motorsport Games Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM) (“Motorsport Games”), a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world, announces today The entry list for the second round of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series, 4 Hours of Monza. The list is available (HERE). The high level of both real life and sim drivers due to compete in the upcoming Monza event is a great indication that another closely contested race is likely from start to finish.

 

Names such as 2021 ELMS champion Yifei Yi, Mexican motorsport legend Luis Diaz and Porsche factory driver Ayhancan Güven will be racing alongside esports elite, including those representing Bahrain victors Floyd Vanwall-Burst (Dillmann/Simončič/Pedersen) in LMP and Oracle Red Bull Racing (Webster/Siebel/Jordan) in GTE.

 

The race will take place on the rFactor2 platform at the virtual Autodromo Nazionale Monza and full, uninterrupted coverage will begin from 12:40 p.m BST (CEST = +1 hour / EST = -5 hours) on Saturday, October 8. The Italian temple of speed is unmatched for its history and the passion it invokes in motorsport fans – real or virtual – and esport racing fans can be sure that plenty of action will be in store!

 

A total of 40 cars will battle it out in two different classes – 24 in LMP, with all competitors using an ORECA 07 LMP2 model, and 16 in GTE with teams having a choice of Ferrari, BMW, Porsche and Aston Martin Vantage models. Manufacturer support also comes to teams representing Alpine and Mercedes AMG.

 

Qualifying begins on Friday, October 7 at 6:00pm BST, and all race action can be followed on the FIA WEC, Le Mans and TraxionGG’s YouTube channels, on twitch.tv/traxiongg, and on multiple social media channels.

 

For further media information, contact Fiona Miller, Miller Media & Communications, on +44 7770 371332 or media@lemansvirtual.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’s top teams to compete on some of the world’s most famous racetracks. International FIA-licensed real-world drivers are teamed up with elite esports squads to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. 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).

 

Round 1                        8 Hours of Bahrain, Bahrain                               September 17, 2022

Round 2                        4 Hours of Monza, Italy                                      October 8, 2022

Round 3                        6 Hours of Spa, Belgium                                    November 5, 2022

Round 4                        500 Miles of Sebring, USA                                 December 3, 2022

Round 5                        24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual                               January 14/15, 2023

 

About Motorsport Games:

Motorsport Games, a Motorsport Network company, is a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world. Combining innovative and engaging video games with exciting esports competitions and content for racing fans and gamers, Motorsport Games strives to make the joy of racing accessible to everyone. The Company is the officially licensed video game developer and publisher for iconic motorsport racing series across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and mobile, including NASCAR, INDYCAR, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship (“BTCC”), as well as the industry leading rFactor 2 and KartKraft simulations. RFactor 2 also serves as the official sim racing platform of Formula E, while also powering Formula 1™ centers through a partnership with Kindred Concepts. 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. Motorsport Games is building a virtual racing ecosystem where each product drives excitement, every esports event is an adventure and every story inspires.

 

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements in this press release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are provided pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as “continue,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “expected,” “plans,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the timing, participants and expected benefits of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series, 4 Hours of Monza event. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Motorsport Games and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: difficulties, delays in or unanticipated events that may impact the timing and expected benefits of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series, 4 Hours of Monza event, such as due to unexpected changes in the event participants, as well as less than anticipated participation in or viewership of the event. Factors other than those referred to above could also cause Motorsport Games’ results to differ materially from expected results. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in Motorsport Games’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC during 2022, as well as in its subsequent filings with the SEC. Motorsport Games anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions and expectations to change. Motorsport Games assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing Motorsport Games’ plans and expectations as of any subsequent date. Additionally, the business and financial materials and any other statement or disclosure on, or made available through, Motorsport Games’ website or other websites referenced or linked to this press release shall not be incorporated by reference into this press release.

 

Website and Social Media Disclosure:

Investors and others should note that we announce material financial information to our investors using our investor relations website (ir.motorsportgames.com), SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. We use these channels, as well as social media and blogs, to communicate with our investors and the public about our company and our products. It is possible that the information we post on our websites, social media and blogs could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, we encourage investors, the media and others interested in our company to review the information we post on the websites, social media channels and blogs, including the following (which list we will update from time to time on our investor relations website):

 

  Websites   Social Media
  motorsportgames.com   Twitter: @msportgames & @traxiongg
  traxion.gg   Instagram: msportgames & traxiongg
  motorsport.com   Facebook: Motorsport Games & traxiongg
  LinkedIn: Motorsport Games
  Twitch: traxiongg
  Reddit: traxiongg

 

The contents of these websites and social media channels are not part of, nor will they be incorporated by reference into, this press release.

 

Press:

ASTRSK PR

motorsportgames@astrskpr.com

 

Thrustmaster Competition Code: ‘EP63LYDH’

The opening round of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series, a joint venture between Motorsport Games Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM) (“Motorsport Games”) and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (“ACO”), is almost upon us, kicking off this week on Friday, September 16, 2022, leading up to the 8 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday, September 17, 2022. Fans are invited to follow the action provided by the star names, the elite of real and virtual racing, in the biggest endurance esports grid outside the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.

The five-round season, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual as its grand finale, will see names such as Max Verstappen, Romain Grosjean, Daniel Juncadella and Rudy van Buren – the sim-racer-turned-pro-racer just signed as a simulator driver to Red Bull Racing F1 – competing with the many factory-supported esports superstars that have become household names. Within the regulations, it should be noted that the pro drivers do not have to take part in every round (see below).

A link to the TV preview show giving all the details for the season ahead can be found HERE, the entry list for the first round, the 8 Hours of Bahrain, can be found HERE, and the spotters guide for the first round can be found HERE.

The Le Mans Virtual Series will once again benefit from the knowledge and talents of top-flight broadcasters who will cover the whole series, plus Le Mans Cup LIVE. Using their expertise, in-depth understanding and analytical skills, they will bring insights into what’s happening on track during the events – plus explanation of rules, behind-the-scenes news and interviews – to fans, competitors and gamers across the world.

The broadcast team will be led by Martin Haven (Rounds 2 and 3) and Ben Constanduros (Rounds 1 and 4), the former one of motorsport’s best-known commentators and lead voice for the FIA World Endurance Championship and the latter the face and voice of the World Rally Championship and many top esports series. As in previous years, they will be accompanied by Chris McCarthy – who has been making his mark in international commentaries for IndyCar and FIA F3 – and Lewis McGlade, who has an encyclopaedic knowledge of sim racing and racers through his commentaries on series such as Formula Pro and Formula E Accelerate, as well as real life GB3 and GB4 championships.

The competition among the 40-strong entries is likely to be as hotly contested as always in both the LMP and GTE categories, racing together via the rFactor 2 platform on the same track and time. No fewer than 120 drivers will be battling it out for the first time on the colourful and iconic virtual Bahrain International Circuit, a welcome addition to the Le Mans Virtual Series.

Changes in the regulations regarding the composition of drivers now include:

  • The requirement for the FIA International license holder (i.e., the pro driver) within the nominated roster of four to be a minimum of Bronze-rated and they only have to compete in a minimum of one of the regular LMVS events;
  • Teams must field no fewer than three drivers in each of the first four rounds, increasing to four for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual to be held in January 2023;
  • All drivers on a team’s nominated roster of drivers must compete in at least one LMVS round or the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual; and
  • Changes made to the driver line-up after the official entry list for that round has been announced will result in a time penalty to be taken during the race. Special dispensation may be given on a case-by-case basis.

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

 

Friday, Sept. 16: (all times British Summer Time / CEST = +1 hour / EST = -5 hours)

 

18:10 – 18:55                   Le Mans Virtual Cup Round 1 – RACE

19:00                                 Qualifying show live

19:10 – 19:30                  Qualifying GTE

19:40 – 20:00                   Qualifying LMP

Saturday, Sept. 17:

 

09:00 – 11:00                   Warm up

12:30                   Le Mans Virtual Series show live

 

13:00                   8 Hours of Bahrain – RACE

 

About Le Mans Virtual Series

Le Mans Virtual Series is a global, elite esports series made up of five rounds which bring together endurance 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 elite esports squads to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.  Le Mans Virtual Series is a joint venture between Motorsport Games, a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world, 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).

 

Round 1                            8 Hours of Bahrain, Bahrain                                    September 17, 2022

Round 2                            4 Hours of Monza, Italy                                            October 8, 2022

Round 3                            6 Hours of Spa, Belgium                                           November 5, 2022

Round 4                            500 Miles of Sebring, USA                                        December 3, 2022

Round 5                            24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual                                    January 14/15, 2023

 

About Motorsport Games:

Motorsport Games, a Motorsport Network company, is a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world. Combining innovative and engaging video games with exciting esports competitions and content for racing fans and gamers, Motorsport Games strives to make the joy of racing accessible to everyone. The Company is the officially licensed video game developer and publisher for iconic motorsport racing series across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch and mobile, including NASCAR, INDYCAR, 24 Hours of Le Mans and the British Touring Car Championship (“BTCC”), as well as the industry leading rFactor 2 and KartKraft simulations. RFactor 2 also serves as the official sim racing platform of Formula E, while also powering Formula 1™ centers through a partnership with Kindred Concepts. 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. Motorsport Games is building a virtual racing ecosystem where each product drives excitement, every esports event is an adventure and every story inspires.

 

Forward-Looking Statements:

Certain statements in this press release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are provided pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as “continue,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “expected,” “plans,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the timing, participants and expected benefits of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Motorsport Games and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: difficulties, delays in or unanticipated events that may impact the timing and expected benefits of the Le Mans Virtual Series, such as due to unexpected changes in the event participants, as well as less than anticipated participation in or viewership of the Le Mans Virtual Series events. Factors other than those referred to above could also cause Motorsport Games’ results to differ materially from expected results. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in Motorsport Games’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC during 2022, as well as in its subsequent filings with the SEC. Motorsport Games anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions and expectations to change. Motorsport Games assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing Motorsport Games’ plans and expectations as of any subsequent date. Additionally, the business and financial materials and any other statement or disclosure on, or made available through, Motorsport Games’ website or other websites referenced or linked to this press release shall not be incorporated by reference into this press release.

 

Website and Social Media Disclosure:

Investors and others should note that we announce material financial information to our investors using our investor relations website (ir.motorsportgames.com), SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. We use these channels, as well as social media and blogs, to communicate with our investors and the public about our company and our products. It is possible that the information we post on our websites, social media and blogs could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, we encourage investors, the media and others interested in our company to review the information we post on the websites, social media channels and blogs, including the following (which list we will update from time to time on our investor relations website):

 

  Websites   Social Media
  motorsportgames.com   Twitter: @msportgames & @traxiongg
  traxion.gg   Instagram: msportgames & traxiongg
  motorsport.com   Facebook: Motorsport Games & traxiongg
  LinkedIn: Motorsport Games
  Twitch: traxiongg
  Reddit: traxiongg

 

The contents of these websites and social media channels are not part of, nor will they be incorporated by reference into, this press release.

 

Contacts:

US Press: ASTRSK PR, motorsportgames@astrskpr.com

EU/UK Press: Swipe Right PR, motorsport@swipterightpr.com

The opening round of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series season is fast-approaching and the premier endurance esports championship has once again attracted top level attention from major automotive marques, elite esports teams and top-level drivers from both the real and virtual worlds.  The full entry list for the 8 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday, September 17 can be found HERE.

 

The 40 team entries are split between two categories – LMP (using an ORECA 07 LMP2 model) and GTE, with teams free to use either an Aston Martin Vantage GTE, BMW M8 GTE, Ferrari 488 GTE or Porsche 911 RSR GTE.  These manufacturers join with Alpine and Mercedes-AMG in supporting esports teams in the series.

 

A mix of ‘pro’ drivers from the real motorsport world and elite competitors from the sim racing scene will be racing together to represent their teams in the 8 Hours of Bahrain.  Among the names who will be on the grid are Formula E racer Sergio Sette Camara for Nextview Vanwall Burst, former 24 Hours of Nürburgring winner Sami-Matti Trogen in the Williams Esports entry, James Baldwin for AMG Team Petronas Esports, gamer-turned-real world racer Dylan Pereira for Proton Coanda Esports and former DTM Champion Bruno Spengler who continues his long-time association with BMW competing for BMW Team BS+COMPETITION.

 

Joining them are 2021 Le Mans Virtual Series champions Jeffrey Rietveld and Michal Smidl for Team Redline, Josh Rogers and Mitchell deJong for Porsche Coanda, Yuri Kasdorp for Oracle Red Bull Racing, plus 2021 Le Mans Cup Champion Christopher Högfeldt who graduates to the premier grid with R8G Esports.  Add into the mix sim racing stars such as Michi Hoyer, Kevin Siggy, Bono Huis and many more and fast and furious racing action is guaranteed.

 

120 drivers will be competing from around the world on the all-new virtual Bahrain International Circuit, s vying for victory.  Full season entries are eligible for the US$250,000 prize fund, with monies being split evenly between the LMP and GTE classes.

 

Supporting this year’s Le Mans Virtual Series will be some of the world’s most high-profile brands, including: Thrustmaster as Official Hardware Partner, Rolex as Official Timepiece Partner, Total Energies as Official Energy Partner, Goodyear as Official Tire Partner, LEGO® Technic as Official Engineering Partner and Algorand as Official Blockchain Partner.

 

For further media information contact Fiona Miller, Miller Media & Communications, on +44 7770 371332 or media@lemansvirtual.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 elite esports squads to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.  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).

 

Round 1                     8 Hours of Bahrain, Bahrain                                        September 17, 2022

Round 2                     4 Hours of Monza, Italy                                               October 8, 2022

Round 3                     6 Hours of Spa, Belgium                                               November 5, 2022

Round 4                     500 Miles of Sebring, USA                                           December 3, 2022

Round 5                     24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual                                        January 14/15, 2023

 

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.

With a recently-announced raft of elite motorsport manufacturers and top esports teams due to compete in the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series, attention now turns to who will be piloting the 40-strong entries to success.

All will be revealed in an exclusive TV show, hosted by renowned motorsport commentator Martin Haven and esports specialist Lewis McGlade, which will be shown later today on Traxion.GG’s YouTube channel at 18h00 BST / 19h00 CEST / 13h00 EST.

Superstar names from Formula One, IndyCar, WEC, from all major esports championships and many, many more real and virtual series from around the world will be announced, stunning car liveries will be revealed and the latest update on the composition of driver line ups will be explained.

Tune in to see how the coming Le Mans Virtual Series season will unfurl starting with the 8 Hours of Bahrain on Saturday, 17th September with the broadcast beginning at 12h30 BST (13h30 CEST/07h30 EST).  The full entry list for Round 1 will be revealed tomorrow, Tuesday 13th September.

The entry list for the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series, the global, elite endurance esports series, has today been revealed and it features teams representing some of the most prestigious automotive manufacturers in the world, as well as elite esports squads from around the globe.  The biggest full season Le Mans Virtual Series entry list to date can be found HERE.

 

Driver names – including championship-winning superstars from multiple disciplines around the world who will be making an appearance during the season – are due to be released on Monday, September 12th during a special TV Preview Show.  Stay tuned to social media channels for more news on how to view the show.

 

An additional 10 cars are expected to join the entry list for the increasingly popular, high profile 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual on January 14/15, the final round of the five-race series, attracting even more star names to add to the excitement.

 

The 40 full season entries are split between two categories of car (LMP2 – 24 cars; LMGTE – 16) which will compete in races which range between four and 24 hours in duration.  Top worldwide brands such as Alpine, Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche return for more top esports action and success, many with multiple entries.

 

 

The prestige manufacturer names are joined by the elite of sim racing competition, including LMP and GTE 2021 champions Team Redline and GTE Vice Champions Porsche Coanda Esports who are stepping up to the prototype class. Among others, Romain Grosjean’s R8G Esports team will be competing alongside Floyd Vanwall-Burst, Williams Esports, Alpine Esports, YAS Heat Veloce, AMG Team Petronas Esports and Jenson Button’s Rocket Simsport team in the prototype category, and all entries will compete with an ORECA 07 LMP2.  Joining them for 2022 are Mexico Racing Team, Pescarolo Esport Monaco, Team Fordzilla and Brabham Esports, the latter new to the Le Mans Virtual Series but bringing with it a name steeped in motorsport history.

 

Some of endurance racing’s most steadfast teams such as the European Le Mans Series’ Panis Racing, GR Vector eSport (a combination of two WEC teams), Proton Competition, D’Station Racing and ARC Bratislava are also featured on the list across the two categories.

 

The GTE class offers competitors a choice of Aston Martin Vantage GTE, BMW M8 GTE, Ferrari 488 GTE and Porsche 911 RSR GTE cars, and names familiar to both the real and sim racing world such as MAHLE Racing Team, SIMMSA Esports, Oracle Red Bull Racing and Prodrive FYRA Esport will be among the competitors vying for championship success.

 

No fewer than 15 different nations are represented on the team entry list from Europe, the USA, Africa and the Far East, a 25% increase on last season.  The appeal of Le Mans Virtual Series racing continues to rise!

 

Le Mans Virtual Series is a joint venture between Motorsport Games Inc. (NASDAQ: MSGM) (“Motorsport Games”) — a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world — and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) — the creators and organizers of the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans and promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC).  It will take place over five rounds with the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual as its grand finale. The calendar of events features some of the world’s most famous and recognizable racetracks – Monza, Spa, Bahrain, Sebring and Le Mans – which will challenge all the drivers, international FIA-licensed and sim racers alike, and thrill the millions of esports enthusiasts worldwide.

 

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 elite esports squads to take on endurance classics for a total prize fund of US$250,000, culminating in the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.  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).

 

 

Round 1                     8 Hours of Bahrain, Bahrain                                        September 17, 2022

Round 2                     4 Hours of Monza, Italy                                               October 8, 2022

Round 3                     6 Hours of Spa, Belgium                                               November 5, 2022

Round 4                     500 Miles of Sebring, USA                                           December 3, 2022

Round 5                     24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual                                        January 14/15, 2023

 

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.

 

Websites/Social Media:

motorsportgames.com

Twitter: @msportgames & @traxiongg

Instagram: msportgames & traxiongg

Facebook: Motorsport Games & traxiongg

LinkedIn: Motorsport Games

Twitch: traxiongg

Reddit: traxiongg

The contents of these websites and social media channels are not part of, nor will they be incorporated by reference into, this press release.

 

Contacts:

Investors: Ashley DeSimone, Ashley.Desimone@icrinc.com

US Press: ASTRSK PR, motorsportgames@astrskpr.com

EU/UK Press: Swipe Right PR, motorsport@swipterightpr.com

An incredible performance at a star-studded 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual last weekend saw Team Redline emerge victorious across both LMP and GTE classifications, as well as take home the coveted Le Mans Virtual Series title plus more than US$ 60,000 in prize money (monies won by both LMP and GTE Redline teams).

 

The #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline, driven by Felipe Drugovich, Oliver Rowland, Jeffrey Rietveld and Michael Smidl topped the LMP podium at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe, while sister team #71 BMW Team Redline raced to victory in the LMGTE category.

 

With double points on offer for the 24 Hour of Le Mans virtual, as the biggest and most important race of the Le Mans Virtual Series, the double podium finish saw the two Team Redline entries soar to the top of the Series rankings. The Realteam Hydrogen Redline team scooped the LMP Series title with two victories (Monza and Le Mans) but by just half a point after an excruciatingly close season battling rivals Rebellion GPX Esports and Floyd ByKolles-Burst. In GTE, BMW Team Redline rounded off a stellar season of three victories (Spa, Sebring and Le Mans) to edge out its Porsche Esports Team rivals by 26.5 points to secure a dominant Series victory.

 

As the backdrop for a decisive season-defining event, the iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual brought together 200 top line professional drivers, including F1 World Champion Max Verstappen, INDYCAR Champion Alex Palou and motorsport legend Juan Pablo Montoya, and the world’s best sim racers from 39 different countries, racing on 116 different simulators in 50 cars on the legendary French track.

 

The endurance race was packed with action, and the early stages saw F1 World Champion Max Verstappen leading the field and performing strongly although he ultimately fell foul of the 14km street/circuit layout of the Circuit de la Sarthe after hitting a barrier which saw his car’s exit from the race. Alongside racing royalty, the likes of YouTube star and endurance racer Jimmy Broadbent also had multiple stints behind the wheel at the race to make the twice-round-the-clock race an unforgettable one.

 

After the race, #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline driver, and Formula E race champion Oliver Rowland said: “There’s everything that goes into a normal race weekend and probably more into this because we spend so many hours practising. It was amazing to see how much the real drivers, [Felipe] Drugovich, Felix [Rosenqvist] and Max [Verstappen], were putting in as well to get the result that, ultimately, we achieved.  This win shows that anything can happen; I wasn’t the fastest in the world, but it’s a 24-hour race and we kept our heads and didn’t make any mistakes.”

 

Gérard Neveu, Executive Director of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual commented: “This has once again been a huge team effort with so many people involved in multiple areas. Many congratulations to our winners of the 24 Hours Virtual, and of the whole Le Mans Virtual Series, and to all our competitors and partners – this would not have been possible without them.  We want to pay tribute to everyone for their energy, enthusiasm, professionalism and expertise, and we hope to see you for the coming Le Mans Virtual Series and, of course, for the third edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.”

 

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 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 chequered flag has been shown for the 2022 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – the grand finale to the 2021-22 Le Mans Virtual Series. The event brought together 200 top line professional drivers, including F1 World Champion Max Verstappen, INDYCAR Champion Alex Palou and motorsport legend Juan Pablo Montoya, and the world’s best sim racers from 39 different countries, racing on 116 different simulators in 50 cars on the legendary French track.

 

Following a successful and impressive event which was broadcast live from Studio Gabriel in Paris on TV and digital channels across the world, the world’s biggest virtual endurance race has drawn to a conclusion.

 

Gérard Neveu, Executive Director of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual commented: “This has once again been a huge team effort with so many people involved in multiple areas. Due to the ever-evolving worldwide Covid pandemic, changes in format and to driver line ups all had to be made at relatively short notice. We want to pay tribute to everyone for their energy, enthusiasm, professionalism and expertise by saying a sincere and warm thank you to…

  • Our competitors and this fantastic grid, without whom this would not have been possible
  • The millions of fans worldwide who have followed this event on TV, online and on social media
  • The represented manufacturers, Ferrari, Porsche, Alpine, Mercedes-AMG, BMW, Aston Martin and Corvette
  • 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 AMP Visual TV production crew including the commentators who talked, analysed, interviewed and entertained from start to finish
  • The Studio Gabriel (TV studio) for its very warm welcome and support
  • Our Race Direction team led by Eduardo Freitas and Ben Rossiter-Turner
  • Everyone at Studio 397/rFactor2 for 24 hours of green flag racing
  • Our official timekeepers Alkamel Systems
  • Mission H24 for their support of our Safety Car
  • The sporting team led by Lewis Edmondson
  • The combined marketing team
  • The combined media and communications team from MSG, ACO, WEC and TraxionGG
  • The logistics team and Bivouac Catering
  • And a very special congratulations to the whole of Motorsport Games for their skill, performance and execution in making the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual happen

Thank you for being part of this 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 third edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.”

 

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 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 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, the final round of the Le Mans Virtual Series, ended in spectacular fashion as #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline and Felipe Drugovich, Oliver Rowland, Jeffrey Rietveld and Michael Smidl topped the podium at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe.

 

Renowned as the most intense and gruelling race in real world motorsport, the field for the biggest endurance esports event of the year was littered with racing stars eager to test their mettle against the famed 24-hour endurance test, including newly-crowned F1 World Champion Max Verstappen, IndyCar 2021 Champion Alex Palou and motorsport legend Juan Pablo Montoya.

 

The competitiveness of the field and the attritional racing of the 24 Hours took their toll on even the biggest stars, as Max Verstappen in the #123 Team Redline car crashed out in the eighth hour, while 16 other cars were forced to retire or were not classified, including Juan Pablo Montoya’s #40 LMP Cup Champion.

 

In second and third places were #1 Rebellion GPX Esports and #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst, while Rudy van Buren, Lorenzo Colombo, Enzo Bonito and Kevin Siggy in the #71 BMW Team Redline took first place in the LMGTE category to make it a spectacular double win for Team Redline.

As the Le Mans Virtual Series finale, the twice-round-the-clock endurance race was also the backdrop to a championship-deciding clash between #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline and #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst, with the former claiming the championship trophy and the coveted prize money by just half a point after earning double points at Le Mans. Some high profile entries, such as the all-female W Series line up and the official Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports LMP2, suffered from technical issues which saw them exit the race at an early stage, but their presence added immeasurably to the starting grid.

 

A pulse-racing contest with plenty of action throughout on the iconic endurance circuit, the event featured:

  • A dominant display from #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline to secure victory at Le Mans, after Jeffrey Rietveld drove a spectacular qualifying lap to pip F1 World Champion Max Verstappen in #123 Team Redline for pole position in qualifiers.
  • An epic three-way showdown between #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline, #1 Rebellion GPX Esports and #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst for the Le Mans Virtual Series Championship and $250,000 prize pool, as Team Redline earned the series title by just half a point, with the Le Mans race victory earning double points.
  • An unprecedented result for Team Redline, which earned a double race victory, as well as claim the Series title across both LMP2 and LMGTE classifications
  • An attritional 24-hour battle across the field, as the gruelling endurance race saw a total of 17 cars retired or not classified
  • Tom Lartilleux for #14 Race Clutch Alpine securing the fastest lap at 3:21.734

 

After the race, #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline driver, and Formula E race champion Oliver Rowland said: “There’s everything that goes into a normal race weekend, and probably more goes into this because we spend so many hours practising and how much the real drivers, [Felipe] Drugovic, Felix [Rosenqvist] and Max [Verstappen], were putting in as well to get the result that, ultimately, we achieved.

 

“[This result] shows that anything can happen, I wasn’t the fastest in the world, but it’s a 24 hour race and we kept our heads and didn’t make any mistakes.”

 

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

Le Mans Virtual Series, 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – Post Race Report
  • The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, the fifth and final round of the Le Mans Virtual Series, kicked off Saturday 15th January with 200 drivers in 50 cars across the LMP2 and GTE classes taking to the start line. The drivers used 116 different simulators located in 28 different locations across the globe, including four in the Parisian studio used to live broadcast the race.
  • 2021 F1 World Champion Max Verstappen led a star-studded driver line-up that featured names from across motorsport, including 2021 INDYCAR Champion Alex Palou, ex-F1 driver Felix Rosenqvist and former F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya, racing alongside his son Sebastian Montoya.
  • Having led the race at the start, swiftly overtaking the #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline, and looking like the team to beat in an attritional battle for top spot, the #123 Team Redline crashed out of the race in the eighth hour, after hitting the barrier at the Ford Chicane with Verstappen at the wheel.
  • Conditions were clear at Circuit de la Sarthe, and all eyes on each team’s strategy for the fiercely competitive 24 Hours ahead. Naturally teams had to keep a close eye on tyre wear as the endurance race took its toll on rubber, while minimum and maximum times behind the wheel would make the order of drivers very impactful over the 24 hours, with many starting with their pro drivers. Most notably, the #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline in pole started with Brazilian Formula 2 race winner Felipe Drugovich and #123 Team Redline entered the race with F1 World Champion Max Verstappen behind the wheel to try to push their advantage in the early stages. Having fresh eyes through the night would also prove crucial, as attrition, traffic and low-light conditions took their toll on several contenders near the halfway mark.

 

  • In the LMP Classification, the race began with Felipe Drugovic in the #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline leading the grid, after Jeffrey Rietveld gave a spectacular qualifying drive, 0.002 seconds ahead of F1 World Champion Max Verstappen #123 Team Redline, to earn pole position. Verstappen and the #123 car started in second but quickly gained the race lead amid feisty opening clashes. Further down the grid the opening traffic caused some chaos, resulting the #31 Team WRT SIMTAG Esports entry hitting the barriers after contact and back onto the circuit to collide with the championship-leading #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst. A surging James Baldwin in #28 Veloce Esports rose from fourth to second and began trading blows with Verstappen upfront, both setting fastest sector times before a strategy decision saw the Veloce pit early to swap Baldwin for Isaac Gillissen to allow Redline to extend its lead.
  • In the eighth hour of the race, the #123 Team Redline looked imperious up front with Max Verstappen once again behind the wheel, but disaster struck at the Ford Chicane. The LMP car appeared to lose control over the kerb and struck the tyre barriers to force the car’s retirement and hand the lead to a lightning-quick Jeffrey Rietveld in the #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline. Approaching the halfway mark as darkness descended on the Circuit de la Sarthe, Formula E race winner Oliver Rowland was now behind the wheel of the still-leading #70, while reigning champions #1 Rebellion GPX Esports were up to second. By this time the field had opened up a little, as the famously attritional race and competitive driving saw some cars falter, including the #24 Le Mans Cup Champions entry driven by Juan Pablo Montoya and his son Sebastian Montoya as well as Luca D’Amelio and Christopher Högfeldt, which was forced to retire after striking a barrier.
  • By the final few hours the #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline had extended its lead to a minute ahead of #1 Rebellion GPX Esports, which in turn held a significant lead over #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst, which had risen to third after #28 Veloce Esports ran out of fuel to force an unfortunate retirement. With much focus and precision crucial amid marathon stints by several drivers, the quality and precision on the circuit was on full display as crisp driving saw the leading pack try in vain to gain on the #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline, which crossed the finish line on lap 407. The result not only secured the team its first 24 Hours of Le Mans victory, but also won the Le Mans Virtual Series title by just half a point

 

  • Over in the LMGTE Classification, a stunning qualifying lap by #111 Red Bull Racing Esports Corvette by Sebastian Job would see the team start in class pole, with Dennis Lind behind the wheel, while #91 Porsche Esports Team and #71 BMW Team Redline were second and third on the grid respectively. The lead didn’t last however, as Mitchell deJong in the #91 Porsche and Rudy van Buren in the #71 BMW Team Redline both overtook the Red Bull team in the opening laps. By the end of the opening exchanges it was familiar faces leading the LMGTE pack, with the #91 and #92 Porsche Esports Team cars leading the race and the #71 BMW Team Redline sat in third. Although the leaders had largely remained apart from the chaos further down the grid, Joshua Rogers in the #92 Porsche narrowly avoided the #44 ARC Bratislava to cause an early scare.
  • By the halfway point, a four-way battle was well underway and the #70 BMW Team Redline had played the long game to perfection, and taken advantage of the squad’s impressive fuel-saving ability to lead the class, after Kevin Siggy overtook Sage Karam in the #92 Porsche. The chasing pack remained extremely close, however, as pit stops regularly saw the BMW trade leads with the two Porsches, while the #51 Ferrari Driver Academy Esports 488 was still a threat in fourth place and within twenty seconds of top spot. The infamous night drive saw a big casualty in the third quarter of the race, as Tommy Østgaard in the #92 Porsche Esports Team was forced to retired after being hit by Nico Varrone in the #65 Panis Racing LMP, which was in turn given a drive through penalty.
  • Approaching the final stints, the #71 BMW had retained its position at the top of the grid as its fuel-saving strategy continued to give it an incredible advantage over the remaining #91 Porsche. While the BMW was winning the race for first, a hair-raising battle for third between #77 Proton Competition and #51 Ferrari finally saw a victor after Ferrari’s Nicklas Nielsen ran alongside Kevin van Dooren and slid into the barrier to force a calamitous pit for repairs, leaving the Proton clear in the podium places. Ultimately, the second-placed #91 Porsche was unable to close the 30-second gap in the final stages of the race, and #71 BMW Team Redline crossed the chequered flag after 367 laps to complete a double victory at the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as win the Le Mans Virtual Series across both classifications.

 

  • Tom Lartilleux for #14 Race Clutch Alpine recorded the fastest lap time in the LMP2 Classification, with a blistering 3:21.734 on the 117th lap, 1.5 seconds faster than the next best. In the LMGTE Classification, Sebastian Job in the #111 Red Bull Racing Esports secured the fastest lap, recording an impressive 3:47.453 on the 91st lap.
  • After the race, Team Redline Team Manager Atze Kerkhof said: “This feels like redemption for last year, putting in an amazing performance by the team at such an incredible event. The team pulled it off like we did throughout the season last year and now 2022 is starting really well and we’re super happy.” On securing a double win with victory in the GTE class, he added, “we pulled it off again, the guys got the maximum they could from the car and the engineers supported us all night long. [GTE driver] Rudy van Buren’s wheel broke and he had to drive three hours across Holland to our offices at 3am to race in a new sim for him, so the guys were really under pressure and held their nerve.”
  • Oliver Rowland, #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline driver and Formula E race champion said: “There’s everything that goes into a normal race weekend, and probably more goes into this because we spend so many hours practising and how much the real drivers, [Felipe] Drugovic, Felix [Rosenqvist] and Max [Verstappen], were putting in as well to get the result that, ultimately, we achieved. [This result] shows that anything can happen, I wasn’t the fastest in the world, but it’s a 24 hour race and we kept our heads and didn’t make any mistakes.”

 

The result means that #70 Realteam Hydrogen Redline takes home the Le Mans Virtual Series Championship, fighting off the #1 Rebellion GPX Esports and #4 Floyd ByKolles-Burst teams with just half a point between the top two and only 2.5 points splitting the top three, after an historically close season.

Images from 24 Hours of Le Mans can be found here.

If you have any questions or require more information please let me know. We can also offer interviews with the drivers–please let me know if you have any requests.

Silverstone, UK – January 5, 2022. Names from Formula One and the motorsport world at large, familiar to all, are joining with some of the most successful sim racing teams in existence to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.  The finale to the 2021-22 Le Mans Virtual Series will take place online on 15/16 January, and the list of drivers will include champions from F1, IndyCar, WEC, GT Racing in Europe and the USA and many, many more well-known names.  The full driver list will be released on Friday, January 7, 2022.

 

The event brings together the world’s best professional drivers and sim racers, teamed together for 24 hours of virtual racing around the legendary French track and the whole event will be televised live across the world via a special TV programme to be made live from Paris.

 

Real world interest in the virtual world

The 50-strong team entry list reveals that Mercedes-AMG Petronas Esports will be making its debut in the Le Mans Virtual Series, competing against Alpine Esports and Red Bull Racing Esports – the official sim racing divisions of the F1 Grand Prix teams.  Joining them will be an all-female team from the W Series, an official Prodrive Esports team, and a return to the spotlight for a famous French racing name, Pescarolo.  They will line up alongside Le Mans Virtual Series full season endurance esports entries from Team WRT, JOTA, Panis Racing, Duqueine, GR Racing, Proton Competition, Team Project 1 and D’Station Racing.

 

The crème de la crème of sim racers will be representing such well-known esports teams as Rebellion GPX Esports, Rocket Simsport, Floyd ByKolles Burst, R8G Esports, Team Redline, Veloce Esports, Team Fordzilla and SIMMSA Esports.  The list is long and exciting.

 

GTE’s diversity as impressive as at the real 24 Hours of Le Mans

The entries for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual are split into two categories of cars, LMP and GTE.  While all LMP teams will use the ORECA 07 LMP2 model, the range and variety of GTE cars entered strongly reflects the diversity and popularity of the virtual race’s real-life heritage.  Ferrari’s official FDA Esports Team will compete with a Ferrari 488 GTE, also used by SIMMSA Esports, while Porsche Esports Team leads the way for no fewer than 10 Porsche 911 RSR GTE entries.

 

Current GTE championship leader BMW Team Redline is one of five teams using the BMW M8 GTE – the W Series entry opting for this model for their entry to endurance racing.  Two Aston Martin Vantage GTE cars, including one from Prodrive Esports, and two Corvette C8.Rs make up the extremely competitive and always entertaining GTE category

The full team list can be found HERE

The full entry list including driver line ups will be released on January 7, but in the meantime more information about Le Mans Virtual Series including press releases, visuals, official poster and a presentation can be found HERE. All information on the event can also be found on www.lemansvirtual.com.

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 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

If you’re looking for something to entertain and bring cheer to you in January, when the days are short and the skies are not always so blue, then the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual is the event for you!

Echoing its real-world big brother, the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s biggest esports event of its kind will be held online on 15/16th January. The star-filled grid of 50 cars, split between LMP prototypes and GTE cars, will be piloted by 200 elite drivers from both real world and sim racing competing together, but on different simulators situated on all four points of the globe.

FIA World Endurance Championship Race Director Eduardo Freitas will be keeping his experienced eye and steady (virtual) hand on the competitors to ensure that all runs smoothly on track for the 24 hours of racing. Race Control – together with the award-winning technical and organisation team from Le Mans Virtual Series – will be on site at Studio Gabriel in Paris for the event.

Bringing the whole event to you from Paris will be the topflight WEC TV production team who were involved in the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in June 2020.  A special broadcast TV programme will be aired on linear channels around the world, featuring all the action, VIP guests in the studio and many more being interviewed from their homes around the world, and social media interaction from fans everywhere.

So, don’t miss a minute and make a note in your diary…2pm CET on Saturday, 15th January for the start of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.

 

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

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

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

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”), across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, 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

Save the date and get ready to follow the grand finale of the 2021/22 Le Mans Virtual Series, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.  The biggest esports event in endurance racing will take place online on 15/16th January 2022, and the official poster has today been revealed.  More info to come so stay tuned!

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

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

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”), across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, 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

Miami, FL – December 17, 2021 – The final Le Mans Virtual Series round of 2021, the 500 Miles of Sebring, takes place tomorrow (Saturday, December 18) on the legendary and historic Sebring International Raceway (FL) track layout. The approximately four hours of racing will provide a last opportunity for teams to pit their strategic wits and for drivers to display their skill, experience, and knowledge prior to the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual final that will be held entirely online in January. This race may yet prove to be one of the most challenging to date for the competitors.

The fourth of five rounds for the 2021-22 season will see 114 pro and sim race drivers pilot the 38 prototype and GTE entries (entry list HERE) on the former airfield, one of the oldest continuously-operated tracks in the United States. Its 17 corners are punctuated by long straights and a mix of high-speed and very technical slower corners. The bumps are the one thing that stands out at Sebring, being the feature which is mentioned by every single driver who has competed there. The aging asphalt and concrete sections of the circuit make for a highly challenging and entertaining lap and every driver should heed Sebring Raceway’s own catch phrase, “Respect the bumps.”

The live broadcast will feature lead commentary by the voice of the FIA World Endurance Championship, Martin Haven, together with Chris McCarthy and Lewis McGlade. Coverage will begin at 7:30 am EDT (12:30 pm GMT / 13:30 CET) with the race beginning 30 minutes later. Full details of how to follow and when to tune into the broadcast for all the action is detailed in the visual above and information below.

Leading the battle among the 21 prototype entries will be LMP championship points leaders, the No. 123 Team Redline, with Spa and Nürburgring winners Felix Rosenqvist (former F1 driver and current INDYCAR star) and Bono Huis (2021 rFactor2 Formula Pro Series champion ) being re-joined for this round by the extremely competent Atze Kerkhof. Just 3.5 points behind them in second is the No. 4 Floyd ByKolles Burst entry of Tom Dillmann, Jesper Pedersen and Jernej Simončič, one of the most consistent lineups all season. All entrants will be aiming for a strong result in the Sebring event to consolidate their positions ahead of the double points-paying, and potential prize-fund-winning, final round in January.

Of the five manufacturers (Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Corvette and Aston Martin) entered in the GTE category, it was the No. 888 BMW M8 GTE of the TESLA R8G Esports team which scooped the winner’s points for the last round, their first of the season. The battle for championship honors is as tight in this class as it is in the LMP category. The No. 71 BMW Team Redline BMW M8 GTE entry leads the way with a 4.5 point lead over the No. 91 Porsche Esports Team 911 RSR GTE, with both teams fielding an unchanged driver line up.

The Le Mans Virtual Series brings together top-level, real-life drivers, such as Alex Palou, Stoffel Vandoorne, Sake Karam and Louis Deletraz, and some of the world’s best sim racers to compete together in five endurance races of between 4 and 24 hours in duration and concludes with the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual which will take place in January 2022. This event will now be held online only in response to the ongoing Covid-19 variants and the Government’s recent directives related to the Omicron variant, as well as tightened international travel restrictions throughout Europe related to the Omicron variant, which has led to the cancellation of most teams’ and partners’ plans to attend the event in person.

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

 

Friday, Dec 17: (all times EDT)

1:00 PM              Qualifying show live (not available on WEC or 24 Heures du Mans channels)

1:10 – 1:30 PM  Qualifying GTE

1:40 – 2:00 PM  Qualifying LMP

 

Saturday, Dec 18:

4:00 – 6:00 AM Warm up

7:30 AM              Le Mans Virtual Series show live

8:00 AM             500 Miles of Sebring – RACE

 

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 entirely online. 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 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              Online only

 

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”), across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, 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

 

Forward-Looking Statements:    

Certain statements in this press release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are provided pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as “continue,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “expected,” “plans,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the expected future impact of new or planned products, features, offerings or events, including, without limitation the Le Mans Virtual Series events, and the timing of launching such products, features, offerings or events. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Motorsport Games and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to difficulties, delays in or unanticipated events that may impact the timing and scope of new product launches, such as due to delays and higher than anticipated expenses related to the ongoing and prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Factors other than those referred to above could also cause Motorsport Games’ results to differ materially from expected results. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in Motorsport Games’ filings with the SEC, which may be found at www.sec.gov and at ir.motorsportgames.com, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC during 2021, as well as in its subsequent filings with the SEC. Motorsport Games anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions and expectations to change. Motorsport Games assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing Motorsport Games’ plans and expectations as of any subsequent date. Additionally, the business and financial materials and any other statement or disclosure on, or made available through, Motorsport Games’ website or other websites referenced or linked to this press release shall not be incorporated by reference into this press release.

 

Website and Social Media Disclosure:

Investors and others should note that we announce material financial information to our investors using our investor relations website (ir.motorsportgames.com), SEC filings, press releases, public conference calls and webcasts. We use these channels, as well as social media and blogs, to communicate with our investors and the public about our company and our products. It is possible that the information we post on our websites, social media and blogs could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, we encourage investors, the media and others interested in our company to review the information we post on these websites, social media channels and blogs, including the following (which list we will update from time to time on our investor relations website):

 

Websites Social Media
motorsportgames.com Twitter: @msportgames & @traxiongg
traxion.gg Instagram: msportgames & traxiongg
motorsport.com Facebook: Motorsport Games & traxiongg
LinkedIn: Motorsport Games
Twitch: traxiongg
Reddit: traxiongg

 

The contents of these websites and social media channels are not part of, nor will they be incorporated by reference into, this press release.

 

Investors:

Ashley DeSimone

Ashley.Desimone@icrinc.com

 

US Press:

ASTRSK PR

motorsportgames@astrskpr.com

 

EU / UK Press:

Swipe Right PR

motorsport@swipterightpr.com

The fourth round of the Le Mans Virtual Series is right around the corner, and it is not only the final endurance race of 2021 but also the last opportunity for teams to compete together before the season finale in January, the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.  With that in mind, the 38-strong entry list revealed today for the 500 Miles of Sebring (approximately 4 hours) on Saturday, December 18 features fearsomely strong line ups and star names up and down the grid.

Sebring International Raceway in central Florida, is one of the oldest continuously-operating tracks in the United States. It has a flavour and history all its own and this former airfield is a real physical and mental challenge for any driver. The track is 3.74 miles (6.02 km) long, and its 17 corners are punctuated by long straights, several high-speed corners, and very technical slower corners. However,  the one thing that stands out at Sebring, and the feature which is mentioned more by every single driver who has competed there, is the bumps!  The aging asphalt and concrete sections of the circuit make for a highly challenging and entertaining lap and every driver should heed Sebring Raceway’s own phrase, “Respect the bumps”.

Leading the battle among the 21 prototype entries will be LMP championship points leaders, the No.123 Team Redline, with Spa and Nürburgring winners Felix Rosenqvist and Bono Huis being re-joined for this round by Atze Kerkhof.  All cars in this category are ORECA 07 LMP2 models. Just 3.5 points behind them in second is the No.4 Floyd ByKolles Burst entry of Tom Dillmann, Jesper Pedersen and Jernej Simončič, one of the most consistent line ups all season.  Amongst the new, pro Prototype drivers for the North American round is Agustin Canapino, replacing Louis Deletraz in the No.1 Rebellion GPX Esports, and GT World Challenge racer Arthur Rougier (No.18 R8G Sports).  All entrants will be aiming for a strong result here to consolidate their positions ahead of the double points-paying final round in January.

Of the five manufacturers (Ferrari, Porsche, BMW, Corvette and Aston Martin) entered in the GTE category, it was the No.888 BMW M8 GTE of the TESLA R8G Esports team which scooped the winner’s points for the last round, their first of the season.  Australian Scott Andrews, who had an incredibly busy 2021 season racing  on both sides of the Atlantic, replaces Alex Smolyar for this round.

The battle for championship honours is as tight in this class as it is in the LMP category.  The No.71 BMW Team Redline BMW M8 GTE entry leads the way with a 4.5 point lead over the No. 91 Porsche Esports Team 911 RSR GTE, both teams fielding an unchanged driver line up.

After a frustrating Nürburgring round, with technical issues forcing organizers to call a premature halt to the race, extensive tests have been carried out and the server problem identified and resolved.  The hours spent racing this coming Saturday will serve as valuable training for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.

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 five endurance races of between four and 24 hours in duration and concludes with the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual 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 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). 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 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

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”), across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, 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 8 Hours of Nürburgring, the third round in the Le Mans Virtual Series, saw Team Redline and drivers Felix Rosenqvist, Bono Huis and Collin Spork  top the podium once again and continue its  surge up the championship rankings after technical issues saw the race brought to a premature conclusion. Floyd ByKolles-Burst and Team Fordzilla came second and third respectively.

Alex Smolyar, Timotej Andonovski and Martin Hemmingsen from TESLA R8G Esports took first place in the LMGTE category after an extremely close battle with Red Bull Racing Esports over the 25km/16-mile-long track.

The drama of the race was amped up even further with red flag periods and blistering restarts on the infamously challenging circuit.

Amid red flags spicing up the action, it was a gripping contest throughout on the notoriously gruelling layout, and the event featured:

  • A back and forth battle between Team Redline and Floyd ByKolles-Burst with the drama cranked up as the two teams exchanged blows on the red flag restarts, culminating in a Team Redline P1 finish.
  • As always, an incredibly close contest in LMGTE before GTE championship leaders Porsche Esports Team struck the barriers at the half distance, paving the way for a pulse-racing battle between TESLA R8G Esports and Red Bull Racing Esports. The third-placed Proton Competition also narrowly avoided disaster after the MAHLE RACING TEAM vehicle spun out.
  • Jeffrey Rietveld for Realteam Hydrogen Redline secured the fastest lap with a blistering time of 7:05.361

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 Nürburgring – Post Race Report

  • 8 Hours of Nürburgring, the third of five rounds of the Le Mans Virtual Series, kicked off Saturday 13th November with over 100 drivers across the LMP2 and GTE classes taking to the start line. Star drivers such as ex-F1 driver Felix Rosenqvist, Williams F1 reserve driver Jack Aitken and FIA F2 star Liam Lawson all competed in one of the most hotly anticipated sim racing events of the year.
  • Conditions were dry at Nordschleife, meaning drivers were able to push the pace on the soft tyre compounds and created lots of early drama with corners aplenty to take advantage of. The Norschleife saw plenty of action as the gruelling circuit’s 150-plus corners, blind crests and little run off took its toll. Packed traffic made for some hair-raising encounters, one of the most significant of which occurred with an hour completed, as Race Clutch Alpine’s Tom Lartilleux made contact with Team Project 1’s Pero Stoyanov Peev and careened into the barriers.
  • In the LMP2 Classification, the championship-leading #4 Floyd- ByKolles-Burst started on pole position with Jesper Pedersen at the helm, and though the #22 GPX Rebellion Williams quickly snatched a lead at the start, Pedersen regained his position at the beginning of the second lap with some dominant driving. After thirty minutes and every car having pitted, Pedersen remained ahead but a surging Bono Huis behind the wheel of Team Redline’s #123, who started fifth on the grid, eventually took first in an incredible duel with Pedersen. As more cars pitted again, Team Redline maintained its strong lead, and finished ahead over five seconds ahead of Floyd ByKolles-Burst in the 17th lap, and Team Fordzilla in third before the race was abandoned.
  • In the LMGTE Classification, an incredible qualifying lap by Porsche Esports Team’s Joshua Rogers saw him take pole position for the opening battles. The race was hair-raising from the start, with the pair of Porsche Esports Team cars managing to secure a one-two position early on at the start, while traffic further down in the pack fell foul of the notorious corners on turn one. The race continued its chaotic pace despite the red flags, where the leading Proton Competition Porsche narrowly avoided disaster after Muhammed Patel in the #10 MAHLE RACING TEAM LMP spun out. Near the half distance mark, championship-leading #91 Porsche Esports Team driven by Mack Bakkum hit the barriers and paved the way for TESLA R8G ESPORTS and Red Bull Racing Esports to capitalise and leapfrog into first and second place ahead of third-placed Proton Competition Porsche before the final red flag.
  • Jeffrey Rietveld for Realteam Hydrogen Redline recorded the fastest lap time in the LMP2 Classification, with a blistering 7:05.361 on the 12th lap, nearly two seconds better than the next best. Over in the LMGTE Classification, Dayne Warren for Proton Competition secured the fastest lap, recording an impressive 7:57.583 in the fourth lap.
  • This weekend’s race saw server issues cut the race short at just over half distance to prevent potential disruption to competitors and viewers. A full investigation into the cause of the server problems has already been launched to prevent it from reoccurring, while half points were awarded to all teams.
  • After the race Gerard Neveu,Motorsport Advisor to Motorsport Games commented, “Seeing the Le Mans Virtual Series cars take the start on the Nürburgring Nordschleife was a great reward for our competitors’ and partners’ trust and enthusiasm for endurance esports. It was therefore even more disappointing when technical server issues caused the 8-hour race to be cut short. We sincerely apologise to everyone involved that they didn’t have the race we expected, and want to reassure everyone that we are fully investigating why this happened in order to make sure it doesn’t reoccur.”

Just one more race remains in 2021, 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 4   500 Miles of Sebring, USA    December 18, 2021
  • Round 5 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual    January 15/16, 2022

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

MIAMI, FL – November 12, 2021 – The 8 Hours of Nürburgring takes place this weekend, which will be the longest race of the Le Mans Virtual Series to date. Le Mans Virtual Series is a joint venture between Motorsport Games and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest. The third of five rounds for the 2021-22 season, which will come to an end with the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in January of 2022, will be the biggest challenge yet for the 114 professional and sim racing drivers participating across the 38 prototype and GTE entries (entry list HERE) on the famously difficult 21 km/13 mile Nordschleife circuit in Germany. With over 100 corners, dramatic climbs and drops, blind crests and little run-off area, the circuit can easily catch out even the most experienced drivers, so viewers can expect plenty of action.

The live broadcast will feature lead commentary by the voice of the FIA World Endurance Championship, Martin Haven, together with Chris McCarthy and Lewis McGlade. Coverage will begin at 07:30 am ET on November 13. Full details of how to follow and tune in to the broadcast and all the action is detailed in the visual above and information below.

The first two rounds of the esports world’s top endurance racing championship were action-packed,     with close and unpredictable racing in both the LMP and GTE categories. The No.4 Floyd ByKolles Burst entry currently holds a narrow two-point lead at the top of the LMP standings. However, Spa winner No.123 Team Redline and its star driver line up, including Felix Rosenqvist (INDYCAR) and Bono Huis (2021 rFactor2 Formula Pro Series champion) will be pushing hard for a second consecutive victory. Chasing them close behind is the No.22 GPX Rebellion Williams, which this weekend sees Williams F1 reserve driver Jack Aitken in its line-up. In the GTE category, it is even closer, with the No.91 Porsche Esports Team and the No.71 BMW Team Redline both tied at the head of the standings following one win and one second place finish each. The Aston Martin, Corvette and Ferrari entries will all be battling for more points this weekend and this class is likely to be as fiercely contested as ever.

The Le Mans Virtual 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 five endurance races. Each race lasts between four and 24 hours in duration,  concluding with the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, which will take place live at the Autosport International show in Birmingham, UK in January 2022.

 

The races may be followed, live and uninterrupted, on the following schedule:

Friday, November 12:  (all times ET)

1:00PM   Qualifying show live (not available on WEC or 24 Heures du Mans channels)

1:10 – 1:30PM   Qualifying GTE

1:40 – 2:00PM   Qualifying LMP

Saturday, November 13:

4:00 – 6:00AM   Warm up

7:30AM   Le Mans Virtual Series show live

8:00AM   8 Hours of Nürburgring – RACE

 

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). 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 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”), across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, 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

 

Forward-Looking Statements:    

Certain statements in this press release which are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are provided pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed forward-looking statements. Words such as “continue,” “will,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “expect,” “expected,” “plans,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning the expected future impact of new or planned products, features, offerings or events, including, without limitation the Le Mans Virtual Series events, and the timing of launching such products, features, offerings or events. All forward-looking statements involve significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, many of which are generally outside the control of Motorsport Games and are difficult to predict. Examples of such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to difficulties, delays in or unanticipated events that may impact the timing and scope of new product launches, such as due to delays and higher than anticipated expenses related to the ongoing and prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. Factors other than those referred to above could also cause Motorsport Games’ results to differ materially from expected results. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements can be found in Motorsport Games’ filings with the SEC, which may be found at www.sec.gov and at ir.motorsportgames.com, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC during 2021, as well as in its subsequent filings with the SEC. Motorsport Games anticipates that subsequent events and developments may cause its plans, intentions and expectations to change. Motorsport Games assumes no obligation, and it specifically disclaims any intention or obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by law. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and should not be relied upon as representing Motorsport Games’ plans and expectations as of any subsequent date. Additionally, the business and financial materials and any other statement or disclosure on, or made available through, Motorsport Games’ website or other websites referenced or linked to this press release shall not be incorporated by reference into this press release.

 

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Silverstone, UK, November 10, 2021.  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, November 13 which presents the drivers on the entry list – both professional and sim – with a whole new challenge.

The 8 Hours of Nürburgring will take place on the 21 km/13 mile Nordschleife (literally, northern loop) which 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 a notoriously difficult and challenging track and not as regularly used as some other European circuits either in the real or virtual worlds so maximum concentration and competitive spirit will be required as well as a steady touch on the wheel and pedals.  In addition, LMP2 cars have never raced on the Nordschleife in real life so there are no recorded laps to reference…it will truly be a race into the dark for many!

IndyCar star Felix Rosenqvist and Bono Huis, this time teamed with Collin Spork, in the No.123 Team Redline LMP2 will be looking to repeat their victory in the last round at Spa, while the No.2 Floyd ByKolles-Burst trio of Dillmann, Pedersen and Simončič will surely be hoping to go one step further than the 3rd and 2nd places achieved so far.

GPX Rebellion Williams No.22 will feature the considerable talents of Williams F1 reserve driver Jack Aitken alongside Jiri Toman and Marcell Csincsik, while FIA F2 star Liam Lawson is racing in the No.11 Red Bull Racing Esports entry with Alex Siebel and Dennis Jordan.

Young Argentinian driver Franco Colapinto has fast made a name for himself in endurance racing and now he’s bringing that same racing flair with him to the No.31 Team WRT SIMTAG Esports, the team hoping for a better run than in the last two rounds to complement the FIA WEC LMP2 world championship title just won by Team WRT.

In GTE the fight is going to be as close as ever and the No.71 BMW Team Redline plus the No.91 Porsche Esports entries are currently the teams to beat.  Two GTE pole positions from two races, a 2nd place at Monza and a win on the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit for Kevin Siggy, Enzo Bonito, and Rudy van Buren in the BMW tied them in the standings with the Porsche of Mitchell Dejong, Mack Bakkum and Martin Krönke.  This will definitely be a battle to keep a close eye on.  Endurance racer Alessio Picariello joins GR Wolves Racing in the No.87 Porsche 911 RSR GTE with Turkka Hakkinen and Philipp Puschke, the team looking for a better result in this longest race of the series before the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in January.

Stay tuned for all the action on www.lemansvirtual.com and on all the social channels. The race begins at 1 pm on Saturday, with the broadcast show starting 30 minutes earlier.  Full details on how to watch will be released on Friday, November 12.

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

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