The 1st edition of the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans will be held on June 13 and 14!

Coronavirus obliges, a month ago, the ACO has formalized the postponement of the 88th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans to September 19 and 20. " For many people, this week is sacred and is blocked from one year to the next, told us Gérard Neveu, general director of WEC. So a week after the postponement was made official, we said to ourselves that rather than texting each other saying that at that time, that weekend (June 13-14. Editor's note) we should all have been there, we had the idea of ​​organizing an event aimed at celebrating the 24 Hours of Le Mans. »

This event is the first edition of the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans, contested via rFactor 2. More eSport will you tell us? Yes, but not only that, because the crews will be made up of professional racing drivers and esports champions (sim racers), all challenging each other on the Le Mans circuit for two clock laps.

•  See also: Interview with Gérard Neveu: “A way to celebrate the 24 Hours of Le Mans”

« Since the launch of the Le Mans Esports Series two years ago, it has been very satisfying to see its volume and visibility double over the years, says Gérard Neveu. This also highlights the huge desire the esports community has for theEndurance and his desire to access the benchmark race in this discipline, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans is a unique event in many aspects, not least because it is not part of the LMES and therefore represents a distinct event. As in real racing, they will bring together the elite of car manufacturers, competition teams and drivers, as well as the best sim racers alongside all these big names. For everyone, it will be an exceptional event! »

The principle will be simple:

• The crews will be made up of 4 drivers, with a minimum of 2 professional drivers and a maximum of 2 sim racers per car.
   
• The grid will be made up of a maximum of 50 cars.
   
• The prototype category will be made up of LM P2s (Oreca 07 rebadged by the manufacturer or the team entering it) and the GTE competitors will have the choice between a Porsche 911 RSR, a Ferrari 488 GTE, a Corvette C7.R and a Aston Martin Vantage AMR. Teams are free to create their own livery.
   
• Race conditions: the weather may change; the concept of day and night is integrated; damaged cars can be repaired at the stand; the car settings are configured by the teams. Strategy will be at the heart of the race and there will be race management who will ensure the sporting fairness of the event.
   
• Minimum driving time: 4 hours per driver. Maximum driving time: 7 hours.
   
• The commentators and pit reporters will be live from a Television studio in Paris, where players from the world of motor racing and renowned guests will come to visit them.
   
• This unique race which will bring together the best drivers in the world and the elite sim racers will be broadcast freely on multiple audiovisual platforms around the world.
   
• If some drivers will be in the studio, the others will be at home or in a location determined by their respective teams.

It should be noted that professional drivers will not all be Endurance drivers and will therefore come from different backgrounds. We could therefore very well see Lando Norris, Georges Russell or even simon pagenaud and Scott McLaughlin come and compete against Sébastien Buemi and others Laurens Vanthoor.

« Current circumstances dictate that the 88th edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans will take place on September 19 and 20, 2020, underlines Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest. However, on June 13 and 14, 2020, the initial date of our event, a unique event will be held, magnifying Endurance and its values: the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans, with accomplished athletes: professional drivers and esports specialists together. For us, the organizers, for our competitors, for our partners, for our fans, we are now impatiently awaiting June 13 at 15 p.m., the start of this unique race. Before meeting you all at Le Mans, on September 19 and 20, for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. »

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The full entry list should be known in around ten days and hostilities will begin on Monday May 22, as you can see on the schedule below.