Virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans – Gérard Neveu: “A way to celebrate the 24 Hours of Le Mans”

How did the idea of ​​organizing Virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans did it come to you?

As you know, the 24 Hours of Le Mans will not take place on June 13 and 14. To erase as much as possible the bitterness that will be ours that day, we have set up a large-scale eSports event. It's never worth the real thing, but it's a very nice virtual event to compensate for the absence of the 24 Hours which we will find in September. It's a way to celebrate the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But we cannot consider that the virtual will replace the real and vice versa. We cannot compare, no matter how good it is, a simracer (fan of virtual racing. Editor's note) to a driver who has just won the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There is still one of the two who risks his life. No, this is a unique event because the race has never been treated in this format.

It's totally new, isn't it?

The ACO and the WEC organize a championship: Le Mans Esports Series, which takes place all year round and whose super final is held on the sidelines of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But this, in terms of eSports, is the most complicated race we have ever organized.

How will the crews be formed?

They will mix professional drivers and simracers and this is where one of the main originalities of our event lies, because it mixes families who never mix together. On simulators, nine times out of ten, simracers dominate professional drivers. Reciprocity obviously exists. And again, some drivers become very good simracers. Each crew will therefore be composed of a maximum of two simracers and a minimum of two professionals. Among the latter, not all will come from the world ofEndurance. Some drivers Formula 1, Formula 2 or Formula E are already pre-registered alongside the best Endurance drivers, since a large number are also there. There are drivers that we have not yet seen at the 24 Hours of Le Mans or others that we have seen in the past and that we will see again. The grid promises to be quite improbable.

Can we find out more about this?

It's premature, but I can tell you that Toyota, Ferrari, Aston Martin et Porsche are involved. And at all levels, everyone gets involved. Some manufacturers even organize an internal challenge with their drivers to select the eight best. The full entry list should be known within 10 days and there will be a maximum of 50 cars at the start. We have set up a mixed selection committee made up of people from the world of motorsport and eSports which will validate the applications because we have more requests than places available.

Will it be as unpredictable as a classic race?

We tried to integrate as best as possible the real dramaturgy of the 24 Hours. More than a game, it's a real race. There will be day and night driving, refueling, weather developments and fuel consumption as well as tire wear will be taken into account. Accidents will be present, but the cars will be able to return to the pit lane and can be repaired and resume the race.

Will it not be possible to give up?

I see two possible sources of abandonment. A crew can break down after making too many mistakes, but this probability is very low given the level of the candidates, both on the professional drivers and simracers side. They will want to see the finish. The second would be for a competitor to be sanctioned for misconduct. We reserve the right to release it.

Will the crews have a dedicated engineer or will they be left to their own devices?

I didn't think it was possible, but it does seem that some people are getting help from engineers, who will tell them how to best use the game and what strategy to adopt. For example, who do you entrust with the departure? A simracer or a driver who knows the 24 Hours perfectly and knows how to manage traffic? They will use all the tests between May 22 and the race to refine their strategies.

There will only be one Prototype model available: the Oreca 07. Will competitors be able to rebadge it?

Of course. The car will have the name of the team entering it. A sporting regulation is being drafted. But many competitors use the name of their usual car because they – mainly the manufacturers – want to maintain the link with reality.

Question of retransmission, how do you imagine things?

We will start from a television studio in Paris (Studio Gabriel. Editor's note), in which there will be a TV set hosted by two teams of commentators who will take turns. We will find some personalities from the world of Endurance there. The entire game management team will be on site - that is, everything will be mixed there - and everything will then be sent to the final television control room, who will put it all into images using real racing graphics and the sound of the commentators. on set and sending subjects during the race. The race management – ​​with whom the drivers will be in direct contact – will be installed in this studio, which will allow us to deliver a high quality product. We will try to make the event as attractive as possible and combine reality with digital. There will be a real starter, maybe a real concert, and other surprises.

Where will the race be broadcast?

This program will be distributed on television channels but also on digital platforms. It will be possible to follow it anywhere in the world, a luxury that virtual technology can afford. And if we offer the international signal, each television station which acquires the rights will be able to choose its commentator so that the retransmission is in its national language.

Where will the pilots be based?

Many will be at home, that's the advantage of virtual. Others, from the same team, will probably meet up and teams will undoubtedly bring together all their drivers in a specific location. But wherever the driver is, we will be able to film him driving and interview his teammates. We can even imagine having a camera in one of the candidates' homes if it's worth it. We can also imagine having one or two competitors installed in the studio.

What is the program between now and June 13?

A server with the cars in question will be open from May 22 to allow drivers to practice. Then there will be test races in which competitors will be required to participate. This will also allow us to practice before the event.