Kimi Antonelli headlines this week’s Sim Racing Roundup with a look at his new sim rig and all the details behind it. You’ll also get a great behind-the-scenes look at Cadillac’s Formula 1 simulator with Valtteri Bottas, plus plenty more sim racing news and insights.
Overview
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
Kimi Antonelli’s New F1 Simulator | Cool Performance Formula Pro
Kimi Antonelli is the 10th Formula 1 driver to choose Cool Performance. In this video, Cool Performance founder Oliver Norris walks through the bespoke Formula Pro simulator built for the Mercedes F1 driver. Every component is tuned to Kimi’s specifications, from the in-house pedal system to the personalised carbon fibre detailing. Plus: Exclusive behind-the-scenes footage from the install at Kimi’s home, including Kimi driving and reacting to the simulator on his first laps. See the full build: https://coolperformance.com/products/formula-pro-kimi-antonelli-edition
Why Sim Racing Matters to Motorsports
Motorsport partnership builder Brian Scott McRae explains why sim racing matters to motorsports. “The biggest debate that has followed sim racing since its inception: Is it real racing or just a video game? I understand the skepticism. Many racers I work with in the real world have the same reaction when the topic comes up. They compete with real risk and speed in actual racecars. To them, racing digitally can seem beside the point. Why would someone who races for real care about pretending to race on a screen?”
Brian answers this question in his LinkedIn post here.
Simracing vs. Reality: Can an eSports Driver Succeed in Real-World Single-Seaters?
Motorsport has changed. Today, a simulator might be the first “car” a young driver ever touches. Simracing has evolved into a professional training and competition platform, with global eSports championships followed by millions of fans. But the big question remains: Can a simracing driver make it in the world of real-life single-seaters?
The F4 Spanish Championship gives their thoughts on this debate here.
Inside Cadillac F1’s Simulator with Valtteri Bottas
Go behind the scenes with Valtteri Bottas and the Cadillac Formula 1 Team at the Charlotte Technical Center. See how the team analyzes driver feedback and uses F1 simulator technology to bridge the gap between the virtual car and the real one. Featuring technical reviews and engineering insights, this inside look shows how Cadillac Formula 1 turns data into performance before the next race.
Meet the Father-Son Duo at GM Helping Cadillac Racing Teams Get Faster
Behind every successful motorsport program is a team of talented people, and sometimes that team includes family. This fascinating story from General Motors highlights how Greg and Aiden Price, a father-and-son duo, are helping Cadillac’s racing efforts through cutting-edge simulation work. Their journey offers a unique look at the growing importance of sim racing, driver-in-the-loop technology, and the collaborative culture behind Cadillac’s expanding motorsport programs, including its Formula 1 effort.
Read the full story at the GM website here.
Black Rock Motor Resort – Drive it Now on Assetto Corsa
This is it…Designed by nature and crafted by Tilke. 5.4km of undulating, beautiful, challenging and uncompromising asphalt ready to be tamed by your favourite beast. It’s got all the hallmarks of the greats. Speed, elevation, geometry, all sculpted into a stunning Australian bush landscape. Download Black Rock and enjoy it now on Assetto Corsa Link to download: blackrockresort.com.au/assetto-corsa.
F1 Drivers That Love Sim Racing
Forsetti Race has a great Instagram post featuring F1 drivers that love sim racing. You can read it here.
Motorsport and Simulator Racing Survey Community Request
Thomas, An A-Level student currently studying design and technology in the UK and is asking the community to fill out the survey below to help in his project.
In this course I am required to create a physical product, which can be anything of my choosing. Therefore I have chosen to create a product that will support my life long passion of motorsport racing whilst trying to solve some of the problems that I have identified in the industry when it comes to new people trying to experiment with the hobby.
To create this product successfully I will require some input from people who are interested in this field of motorsport, this will be conducted through the survey below if you are happy to participate. There will be questions entailing how you like motorsport, as well any issues you feel there is with the current industry that could be solved by a product created by myself.
You can participate in the survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8vX5Q8RnxJbKbzBP1Yu06tyE6L_ZG1m6-tBDJkmzg2gBRlg/viewform
From Simulator to Stopwatch: The Creative Evidence Teams Have Used to Dispute F1 Race Results
Formula 1 teams have the power to appeal penalties imposed by the stewards over a race weekend. But to do so, they must present new evidence that hasn’t yet been seen before by F1’s law enforcement.
As a result, teams have investigated every avenue of the series to uncover new, creative and clever evidence that they believe could help them attempt to overturn a racing result.
Autosport explains how the simulator plays its part in the process.
Competitive Sim Racing News
FIA Esports Expands Further with New Competition and Esports International Sporting Code
Following the recent creation of an FIA Esports Hill Climb project, the World Motor Sport Council this week approved regulations for the FIA Esports European Hill Climb Cup, adding another significant growth area for this accessible category.
In collaboration with ACL Sport, this new Esports competition will be launched on the RaceRoom platform, featuring the iconic BMW 134 Judd V8 – driven by the legendary Georg Plasa in real-world Hill Climb events. The tournament will unfold in two high-stakes stages, beginning with an open online qualification from 20 August to 9 September on an existing RaceRoom Hill Climb track, where the eight fastest drivers will secure their place in the finals.
The action then moves onsite to Luxembourg from October 11-13 for stage two, where finalists will face the ultimate test of skill on a course on RaceRoom kept strictly under wraps until race day to ensure a level playing field.
The World Motor Sport Council has also approved the creation of a separate Esports Code to regulate FIA Esports Competitions. This now replaces Appendix E to the International Sporting Code, which was always intended to be a temporary appendix to manage ongoing Competitions while the separate Esports Code was developed.
More Competitive Sim Racing News
- This Week in iRacing | June 23rd to June 29th, 2026 (iRacing)
- Malta National Sim Racing Championships 2026 (WPR)
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
New to iRacing? Start Here | Beginner’s Guide Parts 1 & 2
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
- Why Do People Spend Over $3,000 on a Sim Racing Wheel Base? (Box This Lap)
- Fanatec Podium DD Review: Is This Fanatec’s Best Wheel Base? (Box This Lap)
General Sim Racing News
- NASCAR 26 game launches September with Kyle Larson cover (Traxion)
- NASCAR 26 game will have cross-platform multiplayer (Traxion)
- Six essential racing games coming soon (Traxion)
- Racing game legalese and Le Mans – Traxion Control Podcast (Traxion)
- F1 Sim Racing to be introduced in Indian schools by Mumbai Falcons (Evo)
- Assetto Corsa Rally confirms Greece stage location (Traxion)
- MXGP 26 unveiled with Unreal Engine 5 graphics (Traxion)
- Endurance Motorsport Series gameplay showcases Aston Martin GT3 and Brazilian circuit (Traxion)
- Project Motor Racing update reworks slipstreaming as new DLC approaches (Traxion)
- Assetto Corsa EVO Introduces EVO SR Safety Rating System (Box This Lap)
- Racing sim communities and sports betting: The growing crossover between F1 Esports and traditional bookmakers (Racing Games)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. As a 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.
