Andy and Sebastian Priaulx will be team-mates next month as they contest the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, piloting an Oreca 07 in the competitive LMP2 class for Multimatic Motorsports and Zansho Simsport in the two round-the-clock extravaganza.
The virtual edition of the iconic event is set to be “the biggest esports endurance race ever seen”, with manufacturer entries from the likes of Toyota, Porsche and Aston Martin. A 50 car entry list features the fastest professional drivers and sim racers in the world.
Andy is no stranger to the Circiuit De La Sarthe having tackled the 24 Hours of Le Mans on five occasions, taking a pair of class podium finishes, however this presents a slightly different challenge for the three-time World Touring Car Champion.
Andy Priaulx: “I’m looking forward to taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. I’ve done plenty of laps around the Circuit de la Sarthe in my career and been fortunate to compete in the great race five times, but this challenge will be unlike any other for me.
“The standard of drivers competing in the event is incredible, both ‘real world’ drivers and sim racers. We have a very professional set-up with Multimatic Motorsports and Zansho Simsport though, with a quick driver line-up, so we’re excited to see what we can achieve.”
For Sebastian meanwhile, this will mark his first involvement in an official FIA World Endurance Championship event and a first competitive start at Le Mans. It’s the next chapter of a busy spell of sim racing for the Guernseyman as he waits for his Michelin Pilot Challenge season to begin.
Sebastian Priaulx: “This is such an exciting opportunity to me and I can’t thank Multimatic Motorsports enough for getting me involved. I’ve enjoyed my sim racing in recent months and I’m looking forward to getting the chance to compete in such a prestigious event.
“The entry list for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual is incredible, with a lot of immensely talented drivers, so I know it’s going to be incredibly competitive. I can’t wait for the challenge though and to race competitively at Le Mans for the first time will be special.”
The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will take place over the weekend of 13/14 June. Taking place on gaming platform rFactor2, a grid of 50 cars will tackle variable weather conditions and dynamic day and night racing across a gruelling 24 hours of action.
One of the top teams on rFactor2, Zansho Simsport will be supplying the sim platform for the team and a crucial data and engineering support network, featuring a dedicated team engineer and strategist across official test races, qualifying sessions and the main event.