Turning gamers into actual racing drivers is nothing new. The GT Academy has transformed several virtual racers into real-world racers, with plenty of success.
Recently, however, sim racing and esports have become ever more popular in motorsport and some of the top virtual drivers are being given a serious opportunity at next month’s Race Of Champions event in Saudi Arabia.
Winner of McLaren’s World’s Fastest Gamer competition, Rudy van Buren, is getting the chance to compete on track against actual racing drivers. Yup, he’ll go head-to-head with the likes of Juan Pablo Montoya, David Coulthard, and Josef Newgarden.
As well as competing in the individual event he’ll also be a part of the Nations’ Cup as part of ‘Team Sim Racing All-Stars’. For that he’ll need a teammate, and who that will be is getting decided in in the first ever ‘eRace of Champions’, with four drivers – including F1 esports champion Brendon Leigh – going up against each other for the chance to compete in the event.
They’ll be tested on a virtual version of the ROC circuit on Assetto Corsa and will also be tested in real cars, with the fastest driver being crowned eROC Champion and then going on to compete in the main event. Nope, we’re not jealous at all!
It all takes place on 2-3 February and will all be broadcast live. Sure, the ROC is a bit of a novelty event, but don’t think that means that the drivers don’t take it seriously. It’s always a fun watch and this year will be even more fascinating, seeing how the sim racers get on in the real world against such legendary names.
