Red Bull Racing team joins Ford, Williams and more in sim racing league

Unfortunately, motorsport has not escaped the wealth of restrictions being imposed on public events around the globe. With so many pro-level teams using their downtime to explore esports, could this signal the beginning of the end for traditional racing?

In the latest round of news from the V-10 R League, it has been announced that Red Bull Racing have joined the ranks of this new esports championship.

Sitting alongside well-known teams such as Williams Esports and Racing Point, it begs the question of whether this is a ‘flash in the pan’ event thanks to the sudden interest in virtual racing. Or, will this shift to esports signal the winding-down of real-world racing?

Red Bull are hardly the first to make the ‘jump’ – Professional racing teams including the works Aston Martin and Bentley teams have prior experience in the world of virtual racing, in the ‘Race All-Star’ and ‘SRO E-Sport GT’ series respectively.

V10 R-League

The all-new V10 R-League is the latest in a series of online racing events that have cropped up over the last few months.

With eight teams consisting of three drivers, teams compete head-to-head in a round-robin format. Each year will see two seasons of the V10 R-League run and broadcast, with teams fighting for a prize of £100,000 per season.

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Featuring seven iconic tracks from around the world and a brand new car designed specifically for the league, it should be a level playing field for all teams which promises some interesting racing.

The future of motor racing?

With astronomically high entry fees, upkeep, development and repairs, entry into real-world racing series is all but impossible for a lucky few. Esports costs, by comparison, are almost non-existent, with plenty of now-professional players starting out with a very basic home console or PC system.

With big championships such as the aforementioned V10 R-League and the SRO E-Sport GT series using the Assetto Corsa Competizione platform, buying and accessing the base software costs less than a tank of fuel, while second-hand sim racing setups are plentiful and offer a cheap way into the world of racing simulators.

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This accessibility is also seen in the ages of esports players. Red Bulls’ team ages are 25,23 and 30 – showing that you’re never deemed ‘too old’ to get into the world of virtual racing, unlike real-world championships.

With its growing competitor and audience bases, low entry costs, and competitive racing; It is possible that major esports championships will see the demise of real-world motor racing over the coming years.