Formula1.com just posted some exciting news for F1 simulator fans out there. McLaren will be hiring the winner of an invitation-only tournament, as an Official F1 Simulator Driver. This is not the same as the Gran Turismo Academy, where the winner of the reality show wins a professional Nissan racing contract. McLaren is setting up a team of professional F1 simulator drivers. McLaren is looking at the future of gaming simulators and wants to establish the best team possible.
Years ago this would be a total joke, but with the success of Gran Turismo and other simulators, things are getting very serious. McLaren went on to say:
“And the winner will genuinely be a key part of our team at McLaren. This is for real: we absolutely require additional support across our two simulator platforms, so the competition and the selection process will be rigorous, ruthless and compelling to watch.”
The competition will be shown on a dedicated YouTube Channel and on McLaren's social media channels. Formula1.com also mentioned that six international finalists will be hand-picked by experts in both gaming and Formula 1, while a further four will be selected from qualifying events online this summer. The Grand Final will put these gamers to the test on multiple platforms, and different gaming titles.
The Grand Final will be held at McLaren's Woking Headquarters sometime in autumn. Good luck to those who are selected! The platforms and titles have not been announced yet, but I am already booting up my devices to get some practice in.
