In the latest set of content arriving on rFactor 2, there’s a Le Mans Hypercar, a British Touring Car, a Grand Prix venue, two BTCC circuits and a Formula E track.
Image credit: Studio 397
For any rFactor 2 fan, the festive season has come early. Studio 397 have dropped a lot of content, there is plenty of new cars and tracks to sink your teeth into, some of which is available from tomorrow.
First up is the Vanwall Vandervell LMH car that is currently eligible to compete in the Le Mans Hypercar class in the FIA World Endurance Championship. The car was set to be entered into the series this year by the ByKolles team but was rejected, and now they aim to enter it into next year’s 24 hours of Le Mans.
The new Le Mans Hypercar and Le Mans Daytona h classes have seen massive interest, with manufacturers looking to enter into both the WEC and the American-based IMSA Sportscar Championship with them. The likes of Acura, Alpine, BMW, Cadillac, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche are all set to join pre-existing manufacturers Toyota, Glickenhaus and Peugeot.
Next up as a new addition to rFactor 2 is a circuit, also familiar to many fans of the World Endurance Championship but known to most from Formula One. The Bahrain International Circuit.
Back in September, the first round of the Le Mans Virtual Series was the 8 hours of Bahrain. The circuit was scanned in for the event, and will now be available for everyone else to pick up on rFactor 2.
Players can drive the main Grand Prix circuit but also the sub-minute Outer layout which was used in the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix. There’s also the Endurance layout from the 2010 F1 season opener and the Paddock circuit which could be driven in the F1 games from 2017-2020.
BTCC Fan’s Heaven
For those who love the British Touring Car Championship, the upcoming content drop will be very satisfying. First up, the BMW 330i M Sport which will join the Infiniti Q50, Toyota Corolla GR, Ford Focus ST and Hyundai i30N as BTCC cars on rFactor 2.
The BMW has typically been piloted most prominently in the series by Colin Turkington, the four-time champion who won his most recent championship back in 2019 driving the 330i. The BMW is just yet another addition in S397’s efforts to add more BTCC content.
Earlier this year, they also added Donington Park and Brands Hatch, both internationally known and renowned circuits enjoyed the world over. But the November Q4 Content Drop on rFactor 2 sees some lesser known British tracks also getting added in.
Thruxton and Croft are coming to rFactor 2, both tracks being less well known due to only hosting national events. Thruxton is one of the fastest tracks in the whole of the UK, and many drivers who get their motor racing journeys started in Britain get to race at Thruxton in the likes of Ginetta and F4.
The circuit is beloved by drivers and fans alike for its incredible high average speeds and surely rFactor 2 players who haven’t even heard of it before will come to absolutely love it too. Then there’s Croft, based in North Yorkshire that is also a mainstay on the BTCC schedule.
The lap is made up of 16 corners, a few more slow speed ones compared to Thruxton but still no less challenging or enjoyable to drive around. There’s a tricky first corner which requires carrying as much speed as possible, and also a hairpin at the end of the lap which requires maximum precision as the drivers will have to brake whilst still turning from the previous corner.
With the amount of cars and circuits now on rFactor 2 pertaining to the British Touring Car Championship as well as the promise of a standalone BTCC game still intended for release, could rFactor 2 now be the home of BTCC in sim racing? Maybe even an eBTCC series could happen.
London ePrix
Last but by no means least. We visited the ExCeL in London to watch the onsite Formula E: Accelerate final in late July, and the eleven competitors drove the London ePrix circuit with Red Bull F1 Esports driver Frederik Rasmussen coming out on top. When we spoke to the people there, we were told that the track would be available on rFactor 2 soon for anyone to drive.
Now it’s confirmed to be releasing in the game as part of the Q4 Content Drop. The track is incredibly unique, with the pit straight as well as the first and last few corners being stationed inside the ExCeL. The outdoor section winds around the London docks, and subsequently is highly considered to be one of the best Formula E circuits.
The track seems to retain its double hairpin sequence from the 2021 circuit configuration, with the 2022 ePrix swapping out the hairpins for fast chicanes. When we spoke to the people onsite, they had hoped to switch to the chicanes so perhaps that will come in a future build of the track.
Release Dates
The Thruxton, Croft and ExCeL circuits are available on rFactor 2 from 7 November. As for the two cars and the Bahrain circuit, nothing official has been confirmed yet other than them ‘Coming Soon’ on the rFactor 2 website.
Stay tuned to rFactor 2‘s official channels for word on when the rest of the content is coming.
Which bit of content from the rFactor 2 November Q4 update are you most excited for? Tell us on Twitter at @OverTake_gg or in the comments down below!
