These are the countries with the best virtual racing drivers

With racing games proving more popular than ever, new research has found which country has the greatest virtual racing drivers in the world. 

To find the nations with the best gamers, leaderboards for more than 800 different racing games were analysed. Top rankings were then scored, with weighting applied based on the population of each country. 

Esports have made racing games into serious competition, meaning there is potentially more than simple bragging rights at stake.

First-place Finnish

Pentagon Motor Group began by looking at the nations that come out on top when all 801 games are compared.

Finland takes the prize as the top virtual driving nation. The Scandinavian country had more high-ranking gamer scores per capita than any other nation.

Estonia took the second podium place, followed by New Zealand in third. 

The UK is responsible for a seven-time Formula 1 World Champion, and even the World’s Fastest Gamer. However, it only ranked 15th in the overall racing gamer league table.

Gran Turismo Greats

Along with overall rankings, Pentagon also examined which nations did best at individual games. 

The Gran Turismo series of games are some of the best-known and well-respected virtual racers. Gran Turismo Sport, the most recent game, even features FIA-certified esports competitions. 

When it comes to the nations rated best at ‘The Real Driving Simulator’, the UK does perform better. But, it is American gamers who lead the top five countries:

1. United States
2. Australia
3. New Zealand
4. United Kingdom
5. Russia

Leading the virtual F1 grid

Formula 1 games remain a constant favourite with virtual racers, with the officially licensed F1 2020 by Codemasters the most recent edition. 

With Formula 1 being such a global sport, it is pleasing to see that a diverse variety of countries make up the top five. Again, the UK manages to secure fourth in the rankings.

1. Japan
2. New Zealand
3. Germany
4. United Kingdom
5. The Netherlands

Masters of Mario Kart

Although Mario Kart may offer a slightly different racing game experience, mastering it still demands a particular set of skills. 

First released in 1992, more than 150 million copies of the various Mario Kart games have been sold since. European countries dominate the top five for this arcade experience. 

1. The Netherlands
2. Denmark
3. Germany
4. Sweden
5. Finland

Top 15 nations for racing gamers

European countries perform well in the overall top 15 nations for the best racing gamers, too. 

1. Finland
2. Estonia
3. New Zealand
4. Australia
5. Switzerland
6. Sweden
7. Lithuania
8. United States
9. Denmark
10. Canada
11. Uruguay
12. The Netherlands
13. Bulgaria
14. Hungary
15. United Kingdom

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