Esports
Le Mans Virtual esports event will return as series, includes 24-hour race finale
The Virtual Le Mans Series has been launched today – a five-event esports series in collaboration with Motorsport Games and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO), culminating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual hosted at the 2022 Autosport International show.
Thomas Harrison-Lord
Edited: Sep 1, 2021, 3:37 PM
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The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual was a breakout success in 2020, filling the gap vacated by the 24 Hours of Le Mans due to lockdown restrictions, reaching over 14.2 million viewers. Now, it is returning in an expanded form as the Le Mans Virtual Series.
Starting on 25th September 2021, the esports championship will be run by Motorsport Games in collaboration with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) – organisers of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and promoter of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC).
A five-round event run will cover Monza, Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, Sebring and Circuit de la Sarthe. The first round is a four-hour race, followed by two six-hour and one eight-hour races, culminating in the full 24-hour race on 15th/16th January 2022.
All races will be broadcast live online, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual taking place in person during the 2022 Autosport International show in Birmingham, U.K.
“Following the real 24 Hours of Le Mans in August 2021, we are delighted to now launch the Le Mans Virtual Series which will include as its highlight the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. The link between real-life motorsport and esports is now an essential element for our manufacturers and teams, and we all look forward to an excellent season of esports competition” said Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO.
Participants will be racing for a share of a massive $250,000 prize pool, 50 per cent of which will be distributed for the 24-hour race results. Held using the rFactor 2 platform, 38 LMP and GTE full-season entries will feature, each car including five drivers combining FIA international-licensed drivers and professional sim drivers.
“This year, the event will further benefit the teams, partners and, of course, massive gaming and spectator audiences worldwide. We are extremely pleased to have secured the support of such an impressive portfolio of partners and we can’t wait to get started this season with the reveal next week of some top-class names on the entry list,” explained Motorsport Advisor to Motorsport Games, Gérard Neveu.
The partners of the series are Thrustmaster, Rolex, Total Energies, Goodyear, LEGO Technic and Algorand.
The full entry list will be revealed 7th September 2021 and every race will be live on Traxion.GG's YouTube, Facebook and Twitch channels.
Le Mans Virtual Series 2021/22 calendar
Round 1 – 4 Hours of Monza, Italy – 25th September 2021
Round 2 – 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium – 16th October 2021
Round 3 – 8 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany – 13th November 2021
Round 4 – 6 Hours of Sebring, USA – 18th December 2021
Round 5 – 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – 15th/16th January 2022
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