Williams F1 has partnered with Racing Prodigy in an exciting development that will see them as the first team in the inaugural season of the Prodigy Racing League. As the trend of going from sim racing to real world racing accelerates, I anticipate we will see more moves like this in the future. I also have news on a cool sim racing competition in Australia, more tips and tricks and the latest sim racing news and reviews. All this and more in this week’s edition of the Sim Racing Roundup on Motorsport Prospects.
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
British Formula 1 team Williams Racing has become the first official team in the Prodigy Racing League (PRL), organized by sports, entertainment and media property Racing Prodigy. Drivers selected by Williams Esports, the team’s sim-racing division, will compete in the ‘e2Real’ series, allowing them to transition from virtual to real-world racing.
The first real-world edition of the Prodigy Racing League will commence in Autumn of 2024 in the United States. Williams Esports will draft four drivers to represent its four-car, real-world PRL team this summer. The 32 candidates from 14 countries – aged 15 to 45 – previously qualified for the draft by racing in one of PRL’s esports events and competing at Prodigy Week, Racing Prodigy’s real-world racing tryouts.
The inaugural Prodigy Draft will also be hosted within Williams Esports’ London Fan Zone on July 6th and live-streamed on Racing Prodigy’s YouTube channel.
Williams will also hold competitions at its Fan Zones worldwide, including Tokyo, Miami, Melbourne, Montreal, Singapore, Austin, Las Vegas and Barcelona. These events give attendees a chance to earn tickets to Prodigy Week, qualify for the Prodigy Draft and be chosen to compete for Williams’ PRL team.
The selected drivers will receive paid contracts from Racing Prodigy as well as professional coaching provided by Williams in collaboration with PitFit Training. The motorsports performance company will offer an intensive remote coaching programme to all PRL contestants while preparing them for each race with a tailored training regimen. PRL will also gain access to PitFit’s Human Performance programme.
The Prodigy Racing League is the world’s first ‘e2Real’ series with the goal of supporting sim-racers who strive for a career in real-world racing. Organised by Racing Prodigy, the first season’s esports competitions saw over 100,000 participants race for a fully-paid spot in Prodigy Week Parts 1 and 2, according to the company.
“As well as competing in the league, Williams – in collaboration with PitFit Training – will provide an intensive remote coaching program to all PRL drivers competing in the series. The program features a comprehensive driver evaluation test with feedback from a driver coach, chief engineer, and human performance coach. Preceding each race, drivers will engage in a tailored training regimen covering crucial aspects such as race car physics, set-up development, condition and performance mapping, strategy testing, and adaptive driving styles. Furthermore, PRL participants gain access to PitFit’s Human Performance program, responsible for preparing hundreds of drivers and teams in motorsports, ensuring that physiological and cognitive stressors never become a limitation of maximizing performance. PitFit’s program for PRL drivers is complemented by Williams’ coaching expertise in fitness, strength & conditioning, nutrition, and sports psychology, as well as its rich heritage of engineering and driver development.”
Competitive Sim Racing News
- Heineken Australia launches innovative gaming platform and campaign ‘Player 0.0’ via UM (Campaign Brief)
- Motorsport UK and Williams Racing to select 2024 FIA Motorsport Games esports drivers (Esports Insider)
- eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series playoff picture still in limbo entering Nashville (iRacing)
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
- At one with the machine—How sim racing has helped me practise mindfulness (PC Gamer)
- iRacing: Unlocking the Secrets of Grip (Box This Lap)
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
Here is a roundup of the latest sim racing tech news, reviews, and recommendations from around the world
AWE, a leading event for immersive technology, champions innovation, inclusivity, and sustainability featured a panel at their recent conference featuring Cagan Sean Yuksel, Darren Cox, Torsten Gross, and Stefy Bau which you can watch in the video above.
“Embark on a revolutionary journey into the future of racing, where technology meets the track. Hear from this amazing group of experts as they explore XR’s role in racing’s future, featuring insights from Darren Cox, the visionary behind GT Academy, celebrated in ‘Gran Turismo’, and a key figure in digital motorsport innovation. Together with pioneers Torsten Gross and Stefy Bau, the conversation will span from sim racing’s impact and VR/AR in training to the critical need for inclusivity in the sport. This compact session offers a deep dive into technology’s transformative power in racing, led by industry trailblazers.”
- Sim Racing Pedals In 2024: Options For Budget, Mid-range & High-end (Overtake)
- High-end simulator specialist SimCraft partners with Wheldon family (Traxion)
- Fanatec Announce Clubsport Wheel Rim GT3 Endurance (Overtake)
- Fanatec launches ClubSport GT3 Endurance rim, celebrates 24 Hours of Spa centenary (Traxion)
General Sim Racing News
- Assetto Corsa Hits New Peak Player Record (Overtake)
- New F1 24 update refreshes Ferrari and fixes Barcelona issue (Traxion)
- RaceRoom’s summer sale live, offers up to 50% off (Traxion)
- Low Fuel Motorsport announces Automobilista 2 multiplayer development collaboration (Traxion)
- Le Mans Ultimate considering “partners” for console versions, code refinements underway (Traxion)
- The 7 Most Realistic Car Racing Sim Games, Ranked (Auto Evolution)
- Project CARS 3 could have been called Project CARS Sideways (Traxion)
- iRacing Contest Rundown: 2024 Season 3 (iRacing)
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.
