Alpine Esports, the esports branch of French automotive marque Alpine, has rebranded to Alpine Sim Racing to ‘show a commitment’ to sim racing.
In addition, the sim racing team has announced a partnership with European esports organisation G2 Esports.
The rebrand of Alpine Esports to Alpine Sim Racing follows the conclusion of the 2023/24 F1 Sim Racing World Championship. According to a release, the rebranded team intends to compete in other sim racing titles alongside its virtual F1 team.
Alpine is no stranger to the world of sim racing. In recent years, it has partnered with the likes of gaming furniture manufacturer ADEPT and Philips Hue to support its efforts in F1 Sim Racing. The marque has also operated its own sim racing events in the form of the Alpine Esports Series where participants had the chance to win a driving experience in a real racing car.
Sim racing also is one of several esports disciplines G2 Esports competes in. The organisation is one of 12 teams competing in the ESL R1 sim racing league and the e2Real racing series, a competition supporting sim racers looking to make a career in real-world motorsport.
Following a surge in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic, sim racing continues to grow at an impressive rate. In February 2024, race car manufacturer Dallara partnered with AK Informatica to launch a joint venture. Meanwhile, McLaren Racing extended its partnership with peripherals and hardware manufacturer Logitech G in April.
Exact details on how the new partnership between G2 Esports and Alpine Sim Racing will work have not been revealed. However, David Gendry, Global Marketing & Communications Director at Alpine, noted in a release that the partnership will look to “elevate Alpine Sim Racing’s performance and competitiveness, fuelled by G2’s expertise and Alpine’s commitment to excellence.”
Alban Dechelotte, CEO, G2 Esports, added: “At G2 Esports, we strive for competitive excellence and we see those values mirrored in Alpine, which is why we’re excited to announce our partnership together as we work towards the future of Sim Racing.
“Sim Racing is an incredible opportunity for not only gaming and esports fans, but also general fans of F1 and it has the unique ability to bring multiple communities together for the love of the race and motorsports. This partnership is a turning point for G2, we believe in the future of Sim Racing and Alpine will enable us to keep bringing trophies home, with an incredibly passionate, data-driven, and technologically advanced partner by our side.”
