Media and technology company Motorsport Games and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) have joined forces to launch the Le Mans Virtual Series.
Following on from the success of the 2020 Virtual Le Mans race, the new sim racing competition has been expanded with a new format and a $250,000 (~£181,697) prize pool.
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The series will consist of four events taking place between September and December using the Factor 2 sim racing platform. The fifth and final round will occur at the 2022 Autosport International motorsport show on January 15th-16th.
Gérard Neveu, Motorsport Advisor to Motorsport Games, spoke on the news in a release: “Last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual was a huge success, and we have an opportunity to do it even better this time! 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.”
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Alongside the new format, a total of six partners will support the series. Sim racing hardware manufacturer Thrustmaster, Rolex, Total Energies, tyre manufacturer Goodyear, LEGO Technic, and Algorand will become a part of Le Mans Virtual Series’s commercial portfolio.
Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO, also commented: “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.”
Esports Insider says: The 2020 event proved to be a huge success for sim racing and real-world motorsport. With a new format and a prize pool up for grabs, the Le Mans Virtual Series is in a strong position to be one of the largest sim racing championships taking place this year.
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