Motorsport is one of the most exciting and thrilling sports
globally. Be it F1, NASCAR, GT Series, etc. motorsport has a huge fan following
throughout the world. Motorsport is one of the most expensive sports and requires
very high investment towards training and participation. The high financial
investment required is a very big barrier for entry into the world of racing. In
recent years, E-sports has been gaining a lot of popularity and amassing
millions of followers around the world. E-sports racing is gaining a lot of
popularity with more and more motorsport stakeholders taking a keen interest in
the sport. Is E-sports racing the next revolution in the world of Motorsport?
We find out…
E-sports racing is a type of e-sports game that revolves
around car racing. E-sports racing is not like the regular racing games played
on gaming consoles. Yes, it uses a gaming console but the car in the game is
driven using a driving simulator. Games such as F1, Forza Motorsport,
Project Cars 2 are some of the popular games played in e-sports racing. While
E-sports games such as DOTA, PUBG, League of Legends, etc.
are amongst the most popular ones, it is the racing games that are making a big
impact especially in the world of motorsport. As we mentioned earlier
motorsport is a very niche sport and not a sport which is easily accessible to
all. E-sports racing solves this problem by making motorsport more accessible
to all. The set-up for an e-sports racing game is – a screen, game console (for
e.g. PlayStation or XBOX), driving pedals, steering wheel, and a race seat. This
set up gives the driver, participant a near-real life virtual experience of
driving a race car. The driving simulator gives the driver complete control
over the car – the direction of the car can be controlled via the steering
wheel; the braking and acceleration of the car can be controlled via the
pedals. For those of you who haven’t yet tried your hand on a driving, simulator…you would be thinking is it the same as driving a car in real life?
Well, it is not. The steering wheel and pedals on the driving simulator are
designed to give the driver forced feedback while playing the game. While
playing the game one has to put in a good effort to gain control of the car. This
gives the driver a good experience of what it feels like while driving a race
car.
Motorsport is a sport where there is a high risk of injury.
E-sports racing combats this by giving drivers a safe and secure environment to
participate. While driving on a simulator the driver can give it their best
shot while being assured of an injury-free experience. One of the biggest
differences between driving a car on the track against driving a car on a
simulator is the physical challenges a driver has to cope with. While driving
a race car the driver’s body is exposed to high G-forces, extreme heat, and
dehydration. This factor is not faced by the e-racer as the car is being driven
virtually. For many people, while growing up the opportunity to experience driving
a race car is something dreams are made of. E-sports racing makes motorsport
accessible to everyone. Yes, drivers may not be driving a real race car…but
they are getting the next best thing to it!
Traditionally, for someone to get into the world of
motorsport the starting point would be karting and then progression up the
ladder all the way to F1. E-sports racing changes the status quo…now for anyone
interested in getting into motorsport it is as easy as racing on a driving
simulator, you can even set up a driving simulator at your home! E-sports racing
helps combat the 2 major barriers for entry into motorsport namely high price
and risk of injury. Hence, allowing more and more people to virtually get an
experience of motorsport. A strong grassroots foundation is very important to
the success of any sport, anywhere. In India and some other countries as well,
motorsport has never been given the credit and recognition it is due. This has
led to a lack of interest in the sport and a much-needed revival is called for.
The accessibility E-sports racing provides is a great way to reintroduce the
sport and strengthen its grassroots. E-sports will help talent be discovered at
a very young age.
The transition from e-sports racing to real-world racing is
definitely possible and this is proven too. Take the case of e-racer Enzo
Bonito who practiced on driving simulators and then beat the ex-F1 driver and
current Formula E driver, Lucas di Grassi, on a race circuit in a real race car!
Over the past few years, F1 teams have started investing a lot of money and have
taken to e-sports very keenly. The F1 e-sports championship is the biggest e-racing
event in the world. F1 teams have set up their own dedicated e-sports teams and
draft in professional e-racers from across the world to compete and become the
best F1 e-racing team. The e-racers drafted get a contract with the F1 team and
more importantly a potential F1 driver seat. E-sports is globally a $2 billion+
industry and has a lot of money with regard to cash prizes.
E-sports racing has arrived on the world stage and is here
to stay. E-sports racing is all set to revolutionize the world of motorsport
and revive it across various countries throughout the world. It shall be very
exciting to see how e-sports racing will shape the future of motorsport!
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