Drivers taking part in the 2021 GT World Challenge Europe championship will need to master both real and virtual racing skills.
Following the success of the SRO E-Sport Championship in 2020, sim racing will directly influence a real-world motorsport competition.
Making this possible is the addition of Fanatec as a title sponsor for the GT World Challenge. The German brand is renowned for producing high-end steering wheels and other hardware for sim racing.
Simulated racing, real rewards
Unlike some previous sim racing competitions, the 2021 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup will see real-world drivers competing virtually.
At each of the five championship rounds in 2021, plus the 24 Hours of Spa, teams will nominate a driver to take part in the esports event. This will be held onsite at the race circuit, making use of the Assetto Corsa Competizione racing game.
Those competing for overall victory, along with Silver Cup entrants, will be awarded teams’ championship points based on the results.
Championship organiser, SRO Motorsports Group, will consider rolling out the formula to other competitions in future.
Plug and play compatibility
The crossover between real and simulation racing in the GT racing world is likely to continue to grow. Helping this is a new Bavarian partnership between Fanatec and BMW.
Instead of a traditional steering wheel, the 2022 BMW M4 GT3 race car will use one developed by Fanatec. This will allow the wheel to be swapped from a real racing car, straight into a simulator.
Compared to a traditional simulator wheel, the Podium Steering Wheel BMW M4 GT3 is made from several layers of carbon fibre. It is also waterproof, and has shock-resistant components inside.
Sim racers will get a chance to buy the new wheel later this year. BMW Motorsport’s own professional drivers will have to wait until 2022 to try it for real.
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