After their incident at Le Mans, the racing legends face a new challenge in the iRacing esports event.
Photo credit: iRacing / virtualr.net; Box Repsol | Flickr / CC BY
Formula 1 legends Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello will race together at the iRacing 24 Hour race at Spa-Francorchamps on July 11. This was confirmed by FA/RB Allinsports Esports Team for which they will compete. The racers will also be joined by Indy 500 winner Tony Kanaan.
Leaving the Le Mans incident behind
Alonso and Barrichello already raced together in the 24 Hours Le Mans Virtual in June 2020. But due to a glitch, their car had to retire prematurely in the race. They were able to rejoin the competition later, despite being 19 laps down to the main field.
It’s a nice evening now to ride a bit on the bike…🚴♂️! Not the 24h we were hoping for 😂😂😂😂!
— Fernando Alonso (@alo_oficial) June 13, 2020
Into the next challenge team @Allinsports_srl @rubarrichello @OlliPahkala @JarlTeien …any suggestions? Spa24? Nurburgring? Daytona? 💪 pic.twitter.com/KLmrORf2Aw
However, this incident did not dishearten the racing legends. “We put a lot of work into preparing for the Le Mans race and really enjoyed it,” says Fernando Alonso. “As soon as we finished, we immediately started looking at other races we could do.”
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“Le Mans was so much fun, and we were really disappointed to have issues with the game early, which put us way behind, but it is great to go racing with this team again,” adds Rubens Barrichello.
A ride on the Ardennes rollercoaster
The racing legends will now take on the prestigious iRacing 24 Hour endurance race at Spa. Hosting its first Grand Prix in 1922, the Belgian track is one of the most historically-charged circuits in the world. The corner combination of Eau Rouge and Raidillon is one the most challenging sections a racer can face. The drivers have to swing through a left-right combination with a maximum gradient of 18% at full speed.
Rubens Barrichello is already looking forward to the event: “Who doesn’t love racing at Spa? It is one of the most incredible tracks on the planet and just as rewarding in the virtual world as well.” Tony Kanaan adds: “It’s such a brilliant track, and I have been putting in plenty of miles to prepare for this weekend.”
Barrichello, Alonso, and Kanaan aren’t alone at their expedition through the Ardennes. They will be joined by esports racers Olli Pahkala and Jarl Teien who were their team-mates at Le Mans.
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The eight-driver line-up will be completed by Alonso’s fellow Spaniard Ricardo Morán and esports racers Isacc Gilissen and Balazs Remenyik.
“This will be our first time on the iRacing platform, and we’ve brought in some additional help with Tony, my friend Ricardo and some more top esports talent with Isaac and Balazs,” says Alonso.
Alonso enjoys esports racing before joining F1
Earlier this week, the world of Formula 1 was caught off guard by the announcement of Fernando Alonso’s return in 2021.
He’s back!#F1 @alo_oficial pic.twitter.com/FhDeKBsgwl
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 8, 2020
But before the Spaniard will enter the Renault cockpit again, he looks forward for some great racing on the virtual asphalt. “I’m really looking forward to the weekend. Next year is obviously going to be a lot busier for me now, but I’ve really enjoyed the esports races I’ve done so far in the All-Star series, and it is a lot of fun to team up with these guys again.”
The iRacing 24 Hours of Spa
The Virtual 24 Hours of Spa will start in three different time slots. Time slot one starts on Saturday, July 11, 3 AM CEST. Time slot three will have green lights on July 11 at 5 PM CEST.
Time slot 2 will start its race on July 11 at 3 PM CEST. This time slot will see the top split race which will be broadcasted on Racespot.
The settings for the race promise a lot of exciting racing action. The drivers will have a seat in GT3 cars. The weather is set to dynamic changes. Since Spa is famous for its unpredictable weather conditions, the viewers can look forward to some extra suspense.
The tension before the prestigious event is growing and the drivers are ready to go. “We’ve put a lot of work in preparing for this weekend. It is something we all really enjoy and can’t wait to get going this weekend,” promises Tony Kanaan.
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