One of the greatest esports racing events of all time approaches: The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual features countless stars of real and sim racing and is a must-watch for all racing fans.
Image source: 24 Hours of Le Mans (Twitter), Ben Sutherland (Flickr – license), Xavi Yuahanda (Wikimedia Commons – license)
What do you need for the perfect esports racing event? Right, you need legendary drivers from Formula 1 and other competitions, some of the best sim racers in the world and 24 hours full of action. With a field of 200 fantastic drivers competing on the virtual Circuit des 24 Heures du Mans in rFactor 2, the event is set to write esports racing history.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will kick off on Saturday, June 13 at 3.00 PM CEST. You can watch it live on Motorsport.tv. It will also be broadcasted on TV by ESPN and Eurosport.
Who are the competitors?
There will be many great drivers at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, including racing legends like Fernando Alonso, Giancarlo Fisichella and Juan Pablo Montoya as well as shooting stars like the current Formula 1 drivers Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, Max Verstappen, Antonio Giovinazzi and Pierre Gasly.
Of course, some big names from the virtual racing world will also compete at the virtual track of Le Mans. Drivers like Greger Huttu, James Baldwin, Mitchell deJong and Joshua K Rogers, to just name a few, will be looking for their chance to take home the win for their team.
You can find all the teams and drivers in our overview:
ALL PARTICIPANTS OF THE 2020 LE MANS RACE
Since the level of competition is expected to be very high, there are no heavy favourites for this weekend’s race in Le Mans. Of course, Team FA/RB Allinsports with two-time Le Mans winner and two-time Formula 1 world champion Fernando Alonso is looking good, but the 38 year-old has yet to prove himself on the virtual track of Le Mans. Former Formula 1 driver Rubens Barichello will help him as well as experienced sim racers Olli Pahkala and Jarl Teien.
Another team has to deal with high expectations: Ferrari has formed a strong driver lineup, especially for car #52. Charles Leclerc did not only prove himself in the Formula 1, but also in the Virtual GPs and is one of the most talented drivers in the field. The same can be said about his team mate Antonio Giovinazzi. Ferrari also sends Enzo Bonito onto the track, the Italian is a star in the esports world.
The team is completed by F1 esports driver David Tonizza, who is also our guest in the latest episode of Nitro Nights. If you’re interested in David’s thoughts about the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, you should definetly check it out:
EP. 4 24H LE MANS SPECIAL | DAVID TONIZZA
How does the race work?
The rules are similar to the ones for the real 24 Hours of Le Mans. However, the 200 participants will meet online and drive in rFactor 2. There are four instead of three drivers for each of the 50 teams. Each participant is only allowed to drive a maximum of three hours within a five-hour period.
All drivers will have to be active for at least four hours over the course of the race, with the maximum being seven hours per driver. The simulation will include the use of fuel and tires and also car damage, which can be repaired in pitstops but will likely affect the performance of the car. You can find the complete rulebook here.
How does the @24hoursoflemans virtual work ?
— 24 Hours of Le Mans (@24hoursoflemans) June 8, 2020
Be ready for the next weekend !
Full entry list 👉https://t.co/Sd14Lvv3KP#Esports #LeMans24Virtual pic.twitter.com/HubQGCGRBZ
The rest is simple: The team that completes the highest number of rounds within 24 hours and manages to finish the race, claims victory. If you want all details about the format, you can check out our survival guide:
24 HOURS OF LE MANS: SURVIVAL GUIDE
That’s everything you need to know about the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.
Who will take home the trophy? Which teams will surprise? And who will be the first driver to crash? All these questions will be answered on Saturday and Sunday. Of course, we will keep you up to date here on OverTake.
