Le Mans Virtual Returns with U.S. $250,000 Prize Pool

We have this exclusive event again this year after success last year. rFactor 2 will be again the platform, and again, event is by invitation and only to selected individuals and motorsport teams.

Le Mans Virtual Series, a joint venture with Motorsport Games Inc. a leading racing game developer, publisher and esports ecosystem provider of official motorsport racing series throughout the world — and the Automobile Club  de l’Ouest (ACO) — the creators and organizers of the world-famous 24 Hours of Le Mans and promoter  of the FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), returns to competition this September with a new name, revised format, portfolio of prestige partners and an exciting live grand finale televised for all fans.  Following the notable success of last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual in June 2020, the newly re-named  and expanded Le Mans Virtual Series will be a global, elite series made up of five rounds. For an exciting preview, click here to view the trailer of the Series.

Motorsport Advisor to Motorsport Games, Gérard Neveu, commented on the launch of Le Mans Virtual  Series, “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.”

The first four rounds, taking place between September and December, will be held strictly online, with  the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual taking place as the climax of the premier endurance esports  championship. The finale will be a live, televised event within the 2022 Autosport International  motorsport show in Birmingham, U.K. on January 15 and 16, 2022, with 50% of the entire U.S.$250,000  prize fund available for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual standalone race.

The calendar of events features some of the world’s most famous racetracks which will challenge all the  drivers to their limits and is expected to thrill the millions of esports enthusiasts worldwide. The rounds will be:

Round 1 4 Hours of Monza, Italy September 25, 2021
Round 2 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium October 16, 2021
Round 3 8 Hours of Nürburgring, Germany November 13, 2021
Round 4 6 Hours of Sebring, USA December 18, 2021
Round 5 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual January 15/16, 2022

 

Giving their full support to the Le Mans Virtual Series will be some of the world’s best known and most  prestigious brands: Thrustmaster as Official Hardware Partner, Rolex as Official Timepiece Partner, Total  Energies as Official Energy Partner, Goodyear as Official Tire Partner, LEGO® Technic as Official  Engineering Partner and Algorand as Official Blockchain Partner.

“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” said Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO.  

The vision for the expanded virtual series is to be as prestigious and recognizable as the real-world FIA  World Endurance Championship, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans as its spotlight event. The  esports series will continue to use rFactor 2 as its platform, which is more focused on the sim-racing  audience and provides a more authentic experience. There will also be more focus on increased race and  strategy analysis during broadcasts to boost fan interest and engagement.

Bringing together the elite of motor racing and sim racing to compete together, the field of 38 LMP and  GTE full-season entries must have a line-up of up to five drivers, with a combination of FIA international licensed and sim drivers. More details on the entry list will be revealed on September 7.


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