Le Mans: New benchmark in simracing đ„
24 HOURS NONSTOP The French don't just host the biggest endurance race in the flesh. With the 24H Le Mans Virtual featuring teams and drivers from all over the world, they are also setting a new benchmark here this weekend. The teaser for the major virtual event. You could easily forget that it's not a real race. On the coming [...]
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The teaser for the big virtual event. You could easily forget that it's not a real race.
Next weekend, the 24 of Le Mans was actually supposed to mark the end of the 2019/20 World Endurance Championship. For a known reason, the race has been postponed to September 19/20.
To keep the fans happy now and until then, as well as teams, drivers and their sponsors, the French are now holding the biggest virtual race in the history of simracing. It is organized by the A.C.O. (Automobile Club de l'Ouest) together with the FIA and Motorsport Games. As with the Formula E Race at Home Challenge completed last weekend, the race will be held on the rFactor2 simulation platform.
Professionals from both fields
At the start are 50 teams with LMP2 sports prototypes and GT cars of the same type as will be in use in the real race. Each team must consist of four drivers, with two real race drivers per team and a maximum of two sim racers. These take turns at the wheel in their respective home simulators over the course of the 24 hours, with minimum and maximum driving times prescribed.
Many factors decide
There are also special rules of conduct, just like in the real race. Various factors such as the weather, yellow phases, pit stops, etc. will influence the course of the race. Each team is also free to decide how to set up their vehicle for practice and the race, i.e. how to make it faster and more efficient. Michelin even supplies several tire compounds for both categories.
A huge thing
Among the Swiss drivers in the illustrious field is Porsche works driver Neel Jani, who will be piloting a virtual 911 RSR in the GT class from his home in Port. The man from Biel is expecting a thoroughly tricky task.
Neel Jani: "That's going to be a huge thing that we're taking seriously. I'm driving with André Lotterer and two sim racers, whose experience we're also relying on to set up the car. Like the real Le Mans, the simracing race will be very difficult."
Command center takes over race strategy
To support the four crew chiefs responsible for the individual vehicles, Porsche is setting up a so-called battle room-a command center where all the information comes together.
From here, the competitors are closely monitored and all relevant decisions are made. The only difference is that this battle room is not located in a single secretive room in Le Mans, but is spread across various continents. This means that even the night hours can be operated with personnel on day watch.
Things are getting tougher for SĂ©bastien Buemi and Toyota
Not only Neel Jani and Simona de Silvestro will experience a premiere as GT drivers, but also SĂ©bastien Buemi as a driver in LMP2. After two real overall victories with Toyota Gazoo Racing, the task for him to achieve a hat-trick against 29 equal opponents will be rather more difficult with the Oreca 07 LMP2 appearing in the LMP1 factory colors.
Swiss with start number 1
Rebellion is also moving from LMP1 to LMP2 with four digital cars in collaboration with Williams Esport. Geneva's Louis Delétraz, who will make his Le Mans debut with Rebellion in September, the Italian-Swiss Raffaele Marciello and their two simracing colleagues are entitled to the number 1.
A field with rank and name
The best-sounding names are those of current or former Formula 1 drivers who will be doing the honors. For example, Max Verstappen, Fernando Alonso, Rubens Barrichello and Jenson Button in the LMP2 class and Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc, Giancarlo Fisichella and Felipe Massa in the GT class.
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Presentation of the most famous drivers. The list of participants is impressive.
Penske is one of only two teams to take on a proper quartet of racers, including Indy cracks Juan Pablo Montoya and Simon Pagenaud. And, as in September for the 88th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, an all-women team takes on the men.
The complete start list is available here.
Also unique media presence
The virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans will start at 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 13. Fans and spectators can follow the entire race via livestream on Michelin's Facebook page or the official YouTube channels of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In addition, Eurosport 1 will report on the racing action on both Saturday and Sunday as part of several live broadcasts on free-to-air television. The Twitch.tv platform, which specializes in online games, also has various channels of the participating teams and manufacturers available.
