How a driver used sim racing to progress to F4 leads off this week’s edition of the Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup.
Deagen Fairclough has taken an unconventional route to British F4 and in this edition of the Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup you will see how he did it.
I also bring you news on how a sim racer became Red Bull F1’s official sim test driver, all you need to know about the iRacing Pro License and the Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo. All this and more sim racing news that racers can use.
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
F1 Feeder Series looks at the path that Deagen Fairclough took to British F4, with sim racing playing a prominent role.
“After finishing fifth in the 2021 BRSCC Fiesta Junior Championship with nine wins, seven poles and 13 fastest laps, Fairclough embarked on the 2022 ROKiT Racing Star esports competition. Across five rounds of online racing, entrants, split into male and female categories, competed to win a fully funded 2023 British F4 drive. “Winning it was definitely my main goal,” Fairclough says about his initial ambitions for the competition. It’s everyone’s dream to get into those big series. I put so many hours of testing in order to be competitive, and it paid off. I knew with enough time and dedication I could do well and have the chance to win, and I did. Winning that has changed both mine and my parents’ lives. Even to be in a mini F1 car is just insane to me.”
Traxion reports that Oracle Red Bull Racing has just announced that its esports driver, Sebastian Job, has been working as an F1 Sim Test Driver alongside his existing esports commitments.
“Sebastian has been racing at the highest level of esports for a long time now and after joining the Oracle Red Bull Esports family, was crowned Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup champion in 2020. He now competes in the F1 Esports Pro Series under the Scuderia AlphaTauri Esports banner, picking up three top-six finishes in his five appearances so far this season.”
Competitive Sim Racing News
Content creators and real-world racing stars will come together to contest the All-Star Cup as part of the ROKiT British F4 Esports Championship title decider this week (Friday 2 December). The event, comprised of two, 15-minute races around the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, will be live-streamed on iRacing’s and RaceSpot TV’s YouTube channels alongside the final two rounds of the ROKiT British F4 Esports Championship.
The Coach Dave Academy has everything you need to know about the iRacing Road Pro License.
“There’s the Pro Licence that we see every now and then on iRacing but never quite understand how these drivers got it. This licence is in a special category that is aimed at pro-level drivers. If you think the regular A Licence races are not enough of a challenge and want to see how far you can push yourself to compete with the best sim racers in the world, then the iRacing Pro Licence is for you.”
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
Traxion explains how to gain SA in Assetto Corsa Competizione.
“Assetto Corsa Competizione’s SA rating is key to racing online. We explain what it is and how to improve it in double quick fashion! Safety Rating, or SA, is the numerical value given to an Assetto Corsa Competizione player’s conduct and ability to race closely with other players and AI cars.”
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
Traxion reports that Trak Racer has teased their debut sim racing steering wheels.
“When we spoke to Trak Racer Founder and CEO Matt Sten on the Traxion.GG Podcast in October, he hinted at a range of electronics far outside of its existing sim racing cockpit scope. Now, that reality has taken a step closer.”
General Sim Racing News
The recently revealed Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo for Gran Turismo 7 offers a hint at the brand’s future in sim racing. As reported by Traxion:
“The Ferrari Vision Gran Turismo features a new [design] language that we will showcase for future years,” said Ferrari’s Design Director, Flavio Manzoni to Traxion.GG. “You will want to caress it.”
Speaking of Gran Turismo, Autosport reports that the platform is hopeful of another FIA partnership and their plans for bigger World Series events in 2023.
“On the eve of the Gran Turismo World Series Nations Cup World Final, gaming series producer Kazunori Yamauchi clarified its current relationship with the FIA and its virtual motorsport plans for next season.”
Apparently the legendary Grand Prix circuit Charade is headed to RaceRoom alongside new cars.
“The French venue held four Formula 1 Grand Prix, the last in 1972 won by Sir Jackie Stewart. Helmut Marko lost an eye in an incident during that same race. Back then, the Clermont-Ferrand-located venue used a Mountain Circuit route that was over five miles in length.”
Traxion noticed that the official iRacing account tweeted to their community to welcome the new Toyota GR86 at 10:00 am, and a few minutes later, iRacing Executive Vice President Steve Myers quote tweeted it and said it would not only be included in the December update, but also included in the iRacing base package.
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.