I helgen inleds Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series

Det är en historisk helg detta, för simracing-genren. En historisk händelse för spelvärlden på många sätt, för under lördagens GT-race på Monza i Italien, kommer förarna och teamen för första gången någonsin att kliva ur sina riktiga tävlingsbilar, kliva in i simracingvärlden i spelet Assetto Corsa Competizione för att där tävla om poäng som de sedan kan tillgodogöra sig i den verkliga GT-serien. Allt detta tack vare tyska simracingjätten Fanatecs inblandning och initiativ. För första gången sätts det ett stort, fläskigt likamedtecken mellan riktig GT3-racing och simracingvärldens GT3-racing och det är naturligtvis något vi på Gamereactor vill applådera. Här kommer du att kunna kika in rubbet!

Saxat ur pressreleasen:
SRO Motorsports Group opens a new chapter for competitive sim racing this weekend at Monza where 24 Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS drivers and teams will battle for real-world points in the inaugural Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series event. Saturday evening's one-hour race, staged on Assetto Corsa Competizione at the purpose-built Fanatec Arena inside Monza's paddock, represents motorsport's first fully integrated crossover between virtual and real competition.

Pro and Silver class podium finishers will score either one, two or three points towards their respective real-world Overall Teams' Championship total, meaning as many as 15 points are available across 2021's five rounds. There's a genuine possibility, therefore, that virtual results will decide the outcome of a real-world championship for the first time in motorsport history.

One driver per Pro and Silver Cup team contesting Sunday's real three-hour race will also enter Saturday evening's qualifying session and the 60-minute Fanatec Esports GT Pro Series race. Before Friday's practice session the 24 representatives will be each assigned a Fanatec rig for the entire season, which they can either set up using data provided by official SRO Esports partner, Coach Dave Academy, or according to their own preferences. They must also use the same manufacturer as their team has entered in real life.

Each driver must make one mandatory pitstop between minutes 25 and 35. Changing tyres is optional but at least one litre of fuel must be added. Success Ballast in the order of 30kg, 15kg and 10kg will be applied to both class' top-three finishers for Round 2, which takes place at Circuit Paul Ricard on May 29.

FANATEC ESPORTS GT PRO SERIES TIMETABLE (CEST)

Friday 16 April
10:00 - 19:00: Free practice (maximum two hours per driver)

Saturday 17 April
17:45 - 18:15: Warm-up
18:20 - 18:40: Qualifying
18:55 - 19:55: Race (live coverage from 18:40)