Porsche Is Virtually Looking Forward To Racing Again

Porsche is virtually looking forward to take on the excitement of racing again. Its newly-established Porsche Esports team will tackle the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans on 13 and 14 June with four 2017-spec Porsche 911 RSR. Like in real life, the cars will be fielded in the GTE class.

At the digital race on the legendary Circuit des 24 Heures in the French department of Sarthe, Porsche works drivers, juniors and young professionals share driving duties with seasoned sim racers – these professionals from the online and offline worlds will join forces to fight for honours. A total of 16 drivers make up the Porsche Esports squad. The debut of the ultimate sim racing endurance event involving the works drivers is partnered by the online simulation platform rFactor2.

Digital Endurance

“Under the current circumstances, the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans offers an excellent opportunity to reach many fans around the world,” says Pascal Zurlinden, Director Factory Motorsport at Porsche. “Le Mans is considered the most traditional long-distance race and the digital version can now attract a completely new target group to professional motor racing. I’m curious to see how the combination of works drivers and elite sim racers will work.”

The virtual 24-hour race on the 13.626-kilometre circuit at Le Mans promises to be a lifelike and entertaining competition on a high racing niveau. Long before the coronavirus pandemic, Porsche had set its sights on the professionalization of online motorsport and last year expanded its motorsport activities to include sim racing. For the digital 24-hour event, the marque now combines its expertise from real and virtual motorsport for the first time.

Combining Real and Virtual Worlds

Marco Ujhasi, Manager Esports at Porsche Motorsport: “With the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans, two worlds converge. The passion for racing now builds the bridge between the real and virtual worlds. The know-how from the racetracks and the skills required on simulation platforms come together in the newly-founded Porsche Esports team. This unique synergy opens up new possibilities for everyone involved. Just like in real-life racing, the virtual motorsport marathon requires not only a perfect setup and decent pace but also a little bit of luck.”

Last year, Porsche took home all four GT titles and a class win from Le Mans with the ca. 510 hp 911 RSR as part of the real FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). With 108 class wins and 19 overall victories, Porsche is the most successful manufacturer in the almost 100-year history of the Le Mans endurance event. The first virtual edition of the classic marks the start of a new chapter.
Drivers for the Porsche Esports team (all Porsche 911 RSR)

No. 91:
André Lotterer (DE) / Neel Jani (CH) / Mitchell Dejong (USA) / Martti Pietilä (FIN)

No. 92:
Jaxon Evans (NZ) / Matt Campbell (AUS) / Mack Bakkum (NED) / Jeremy Bouteloup (FRA)

No. 93:
Nick Tandy (GB) / Ayhancan Güven (TR) / Josh Rogers (AUS) / Tommy Ostgaard (NOR)

No. 94:
Patrick Pilet (F) / Simona de Silvestro (CH) / Martin Krönke (DE) / David Williams (GB)

Race Schedule

The virtual Le Mans 24-hour race will start on Saturday, 13 June 2020, at 9pm local time. Prior to this, a free practice will be held on Wednesday (10 June) and Thursday (11 June) from from 4pm to 4am the following day. Friday (12 June) offers an additional free practice session from from 4pm to 11pm. The 15-minute qualifying session for the GTE class begins on Saturday 12:15am.

*all times Malaysia time, GMT +8