Andy Priaulx will make a welcome return to the grid for the iconic Le Mans 24 Hours race next month, though this time it will be slightly different for the two-time class podium finisher as he tackles the twice round-the-clock spectacle in the virtual world.
Priaulx will line-up with son Sebastian and two pro sim racers for the official 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual with Multimatic Motorsports and Zansho Simsport. The ‘Multimatic-Zansho’ team will race in the competitive LMP2 category.
Andy and Sebastian have been utilising sim racing to hone their skills and keep race sharp during the current break in motorsport due to the coronavirus pandemic, and have both secured top results in high profile championships in recent months.
This latest challenge will be their toughest yet, with a huge entry for the virtual Le Mans featuring the best racing drivers and sim racers in the world. They will share their car with prolific endurance sim racer Olivier Fortin and former BTCC racer turned sim ace Michael Epps.
Priaulx Snr is no stranger to the Circuit De La Sarthe, with the Guernseyman having tackled the 24 Hours of Le Mans on five occasions so far during his illustrious career, recording class podium finishes with BMW Motorsport in 2011 and Ford Chip Ganassi Racing in 2017.
Andy Priaulx:“I’m looking forward to taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. I’ve done plenty of laps around the Circuit de la Sarthe in my career and been fortunate to compete in the great race five times, but this challenge will be unlike any other for me.
“The standard of drivers competing in the event is incredible, both ‘real world’ drivers and sim racers. We have a very professional set-up with Multimatic Motorsports and Zansho Simsport though, with a quick driver line-up, so we’re excited to see what we can achieve.”
The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will take place over the weekend of 13/14 June. Taking place on gaming platform rFactor2, a grid of 50 cars will tackle variable weather conditions and dynamic day and night racing across a gruelling 24 hours of action.
One of the top teams on rFactor2, Zansho Simsport will be supplying the sim platform for the team and a crucial data and engineering support network, featuring a dedicated team engineer and strategist across official test races, qualifying sessions and the main event.
Press release by Simon Paice and Next Level Motorsport.