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Simracing: Very Real and Much Real

Simracing: Very Real and Much Real
esportslifestyle

I’ve been playing driving simulators for a long time, especially F1, and when I say a long time, I mean a long time—more than 20 years 😓, from Microprose Grand Prix to one of the most current ones I’ve played: Live for Speed

Note that I’m talking about simulators, not car games in general. And by simulator, we can understand that the game tries to imitate the driving and racing experience as realistically as possible: mainly the vehicle physics: suspension, tires (temperatures, wear, dirt), aerodynamics, camber angles, engine, inertia, etc.

Obviously, the first simulators were not totally faithful to physical reality, but the passage of time and the increase in hardware power have allowed physics calculations to reach very high levels of realism.

Other technologies like LIDAR have also allowed for 3D scanning of circuits, bringing even the smallest bump or asphalt irregularity into the simulator. This iRacing video shows the scanning process of a circuit:

For years now, Formula 1 teams have had their own simulators so their drivers can train and test different car setups before actually hitting the track or even before manufacturing a part. In fact, most of them currently have a development driver figure who is in charge of spending, literally, hours and hours in the simulator so that the starting setups for each race are as good as possible.

This is proof that the boundaries between the physical world (Real) and the virtual world (Simulators) are becoming more blurred every day.

Another important piece is the improvement of interaction interfaces with the simulator: steering wheels, pedals, shifters, seats, etc. A high-quality PC or console steering wheel, with quality force feedback and a fairly realistic feel, costs around 1000-1500€, although there are quite decent wheels and pedals for 200€ (I currently have a Logitech Driving Force GT which is more than enough for occasional use).

As I was saying, the boundaries between Racing and Simracing are increasingly blurred. In 2008, Nissan, PlayStation(r), and Polyphony Digital (creators of Gran Turismo) created the GT Academy, a competition that gives the winners (who compete on PS4) the opportunity to earn a spot on the Nissan racing team (a competition team in the Real world). In other words, there is a transfer of talent from the virtual world to the real one.

You have to consider that competing in car races is very expensive and not within everyone’s reach, in addition to the risks involved. Simracing helps lower that barrier, reducing costs to the absolute minimum and allowing you to “train” and practice with the safety of being seated in a simulator.

What’s more, companies and federations have committed to promoting official virtual competition, for example, Formula 1 with F1esports supported by the “real” competition teams themselves. Logitech even sponsors the McLaren F1 team.

But if there is one “game” that has done a lot for Simracing, I think I can say without fear of being wrong that it has been iRacing.

iRacing

iRacing has a model quite different from the usual:

  • On one hand, instead of paying for a game, you pay for a monthly subscription that gives access to the game and the use of certain cars and tracks (you can access more by paying for them).
  • It is entirely oriented towards online competition, and although private races can be held, it is geared towards “official” competitions organized by iRacing itself on specific days at specific times.
  • And what is most interesting to me: the irating, which is a rating for each driver based on the positions achieved in each race. Races are divided into splits of 20-30 cars with drivers of similar irating. This means that in every race you compete against drivers of a level similar to yours and progress little by little. The Safety rating is also valued, which penalizes racing incidents, preventing the usual “Maldonados” from ruining everyone else’s race as much as possible.

The level I’ve seen on this platform is insane, and proof of this is that professional drivers are “playing” on iRacing, I don’t know if it’s for training or just for entertainment.

For example, in this race I was able to watch live a few days ago from the Spanish streamer Keny500:

In this race, the top 4 finishers were:

In fact, Lando Norris streams his iRacing races (and other games) on Twitch.

And it seems that recently Carlos Sainz, official McLaren F1 driver, has also joined this group:

I’ll take this opportunity to share a list of youtubers / streamers who regularly broadcast races that are often just as or even more entertaining (and competitive) than real ones.