Fundamentally, sim racing is the cheapest form of motorsport according to Pole Position Founder and CEO Ryan Trutch in discussing the initiative to use sim racing to develop real world race drivers in the United Arab Emirates.
This initiative is just one that I cover in this week’s Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup. I also cover how a sim racer became a sim driver for F1’s Red Bull Racing, the team’s agreement with Rokt to develop female sim racers, how Ted Trax Racing is looking beyond sim racing to the real thing and the latest competitive sim racing news.
I also feature some helpful advice on sim racing racecraft as well as a healthy dose of sim racing technical news and reviews. All this and more in my weekly Sim Racing and Esports News Roundup on Motorsport Prospects.
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing

Young UAE racing enthusiasts dreaming of a career as a Formula One driver have been given fresh incentive with the launch of a new esports centre designed to speed the journey into competitive motor sport. Immersive Esports, a state-of-the-art destination for sim racing enthusiasts now open on Dubai’s Umm Suqeim Street, offers 30 race simulators, MotoGP simulators and Virtual Reality treadmills spread over two floors. “Immersive Esports is an important part of this strategy, and its goal is to give drivers the tools they need to achieve their dreams by making a name for themselves in the motor racing world,” said Pole Position Founder and CEO, Ryan Trutch. “Immersive Esports is an important part of this strategy, and its goal is to give drivers the tools they need to achieve their dreams by making a name for themselves in the motor racing world,” said Pole Position Founder and CEO, Ryan Trutch.
“Fundamentally, sim racing is the cheapest form of motor sport,” says Trutch, who is backed by 37 years’ experience in UAE motor sport.“It has millions of enthusiasts worldwide, and allows young people to engage with a generation of gamers, while lowering the entry barriers into motor racing.”

In From Sim Racing to the Real Thing, I talk about how sim racers have parlayed their success and experience in sim racing to progress to real world racing. The video above is a bit different. It explains how a sim racer became a Red Bull Racing F1 simulator driver. “Sebastian Job is a world champion esports driver, and now, he’s helping the real-world Oracle Red Bull Racing team on its Formula 1 simulator. Job, a Red Bull Racing Esports driver, is the 2020 Porsche Esports Supercup champion, and also a Scuderia AlphaTauri driver in F1 Esports Series Pro. But, when we talk about F1 simulation, in this instance, we’re talking about the top-secret F1 team’s set-up to assist during racing weekends. Here, Job talks to Traxion.GG about the differences between sim racing, and sim testing, plus the task ahead of himself to adapt to the F1 games in esports competitions when compared to iRacing.”

I recently caught up with Tom Hockley of Ted Trax Racing to see what the UK youth-oriented sim racing club was up to and as I learned, quite a lot! For a bit of background on Ted Trax Racing you can see my previous feature on the organization here.
Tom and his band of volunteers are really working hard to build a community of youth participating both online and in person. As part of his extensive networking endeavors, he is working with everyone from Motorsport UK and their new esports initiative as well as real-world racer Luke Reade to increase the visibility of the club and their mission to make the sport more accessible.
They are working on putting together several workshops that incorporate all aspects of a motorsport career as a way of introducing youth to the sport as a whole and not just as a driver. In addition, they are hoping to become a facilitator between real life racing series, organizations and events and their community to introduce them to the wide array of motorsport activities in the UK.
As always, much depends on obtaining funding which Tom is actively working on but with positive momentum building, that will hopefully become easier to obtain to fulfill their exciting goals. You can get more information on Ted Trax Racing and on how to participate by going to their website here.
Competitive Sim Racing News
The Formula 1 team, Oracle Red Bull Racing has announced a new partnership with the global leader in e-commerce technology, Rokt. The two organizations will collaborate on numerous initiatives to promote more diversity in F1 racing and beyond as Rokt joins as an official team partner. In this deal, the Austrian racing team will undertake efforts with its new partnership with the goal of boosting diversity both inside and outside of Formula 1. Moreover, Red Bull intends to hire a female eSporter for its own sim racing squad, among other things.
Bruce Buchanan, CEO, Rokt, said, “Rokt and Oracle Red Bull Racing are both innovative, disruptive, mission-driven companies focused on our commitment to diversity, sustainability and being a force for good in our communities. We’re thrilled to partner with the Oracle Red Bull Racing team and align on our mission to unleash possibility, develop the careers of talented female ethletes and empower women in sports, engineering, e-commerce and other fields across the globe.
Here are more headlines from the world of competitive sim racing:
- Crimsix joins FaZe Clan for pro sim racing league ESL R1 at IEM Katowice
- FaZe Clan utilises Dörr Esports for ESL R1 entry
- MOUZ COO René Lannte: ESL R1 the “last puzzle piece” behind decision to join sim racing
- ESL R1 2023 Spring Season entry list
- Chronicle of Chaos: A Retrospective of the Virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans Disaster
- How the ESL and Rennsport are working together to deliver ESL R1
- Kimura Performance sign Riley Phillips to the Sim Racing Academy
- Mercedes-AMG Williams ESL R1 lineup includes new signings and former champions
- Apex Racing Team Partners with Stormforce Gaming for a Sim Racing Team
- MOUZ reveals world-beating lineup for its sim racing entry

- Tommy Østgaard headlines HEROIC’s Northern European ESL R1 roster
- Michi Hoyer extends contract with Burst Esport for 2023
- FaZe Clan and Porsche to team up in sim racing esports venture
- ESL R1’s final team lineup reveal is G2 Esports Sim Racing
- Motorsport Australia is now accepting Expressions of Interest for National Esports
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
- This is the Cheapest Way to Get Started in Sim Racing in 2023
- How to Set Up Your Steering Wheel for Assetto Corsa on PC
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
Here is a roundup of the latest sim racing tech news and reviews from around the world.

- Porsche’s New Sim Rig Tech Will Use Real Race Car Safety Cells
- Best racing wheel 2023: Top picks for PS4, PS5, Xbox, and PC
- Best PCs for sim racing 2023: pre-built desktop options
- Sponsored: How Logitech’s TRUEFORCE technology enhances sim racing realism
- Next Level Racing Lite Free Standing Monitor Stand
- Next Level Racing’s HF8 haptic feedback gaming pad available this month
- Mercedes-Benz licenced D-BOX motion platform set for February launch
- Charles Leclerc Sim Racing Setup: Know Everything About Ferrari F1 Star’s $10,000 Virtual Racing Gear
- Monoprice enters the sim racing marketplace with affordable foldable wheel stand
- What we bought: Thrustmaster’s T300RS GT Edition has made my digital driving a joy
- Thrustmaster T818 Wheel Base
- Best CPU for Sim Racing
- The GT Omega PRIME Lite is a compact sim racing cockpit
- The best sim racing steering wheels you can buy
- Sim Racing Pedals: A 2023 Buyers Guide
- Moza Racing R21 is back on stock, with reduced price
General Sim Racing News

- Hands-on: Why Gran Turismo 7 is a must-have PSVR2 title
- Gran Turismo 7 Was Built for PSVR 2 From Day One, Says Kazunori Yamauchi
- Ian Bell Promises “Complete Game Changing” Concept for GTR Revival; New Website Launched
- Reports of Max Verstappen Installing Simulator Inside $16 Million Private Jet Were False According to Red Bull Boss
- Motorsport Games Announces Closing of $4.03 Million Registered Direct Offering of Common Stock Priced At-the-Market Under Nasdaq Rules
- Exclusive Report on Sim Racing Cockpit Market 2023 Statistical Analysis with Regional Segmentation 2027
- iRacing development update – February 3, 2023
- Forza Motorsport 8 developers confirms Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit in new game
- Every Forza Game, Ranked
- Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) confirmed for RENNSPORT
- 2023 racing game preview: Every new racing game coming this year
- rFactor 2 Gets a Boost with Low Fuel Motorsport
- The upcoming motorsport games we’re most eager to play in 2023