Formula E goes virtual in simulated races

Being in lock down doesn’t mean our favourite sports have to stop. And Formula E’s making sure of it. Get your motorsport fix as Formula E goes virtual in a series of simulated races.

It all kicked off this Saturday 18th April, 2020 when 24 digitised drivers took to the virtual streets of Monaco in an epic showdown. It promises to be a thrilling event, spanning 9 weeks, and it’s all for a good cause: raising funds for UNICEF in the fight against COVID-19.

Partaking in this eSports technomelomashup are German Wunderkind Daniel Abt and Brazilian Blaster Lucas di Grassi, who will be competing from the safety of their home simulators.

Says Abt, “It used to be a toy, but now the home simulator is like my race car.

“So, now I’m a racing driver, mechanic and engineer all in one.”

Talk about making the most of self isolation, and Abt is certainly no stranger to eRacing, having won one in the past.

As for Di Grassi, UN ambassador for clean air since 2018, he’s all strapped into his own simulator in his Sao Paulo home, where he reminds us that “These are hard times for everyone right now. It’s great that we can now at least offer our fans a bit of action and fun with this idea from Formula E.

“We will be giving everything to provide a good show and also doing something for a good cause at the same time – a perfect combination.”

As if it couldn’t get more exciting, the regulations for this home challenge are a far cry from the traditional racing regulations. After a single qualifying lap, the drivers will compete in an aptly named “Race Royale”, with the last car in each lap dropping out until only the top 10 remain.

There are points for pole position and fastest lap, per the usual, and the drivers will be using rFactor2 for the simulation.

The series begins Friday 24th April at 15:30 BST. There will be a show with presenter Nicki Shields and commentators Jack Nicholls and Dario Franchitti. You can also catch the Home Challenge live on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and the official website:

https://www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/2020/april/race-at-home-challenge

Will other motorsports follow suit and join Formula E in going virtual with simulated races?