What kit do you need?

A gaming platform – usually a game console, PC or tablet, will be needed to play on, a download of the game you want to use and, if you want more immersion, a steering wheel
and pedals is the minimum. A lot of people also use gloves and boots too – gloves for grip to handle the force feedback on the steering wheel and boots to cope with the 120kg force on some of the metal pedal boxes. If you have less powerful kit, slippers or socks will do the job. A helmet is not required!

At the entry level, basic equipment can take you a very long way because it’s all about what you’re used to, learning how to drive with it, and learning the right techniques. Some
people buy a full gaming rig to try to find the last few tenths of a second from the equipment, but getting a full rig does not automatically guarantee you will be suddenly very quick.
Generally, events are only physically attended in high level F1 sim racing Championships or the FIA Motorsport Games. At the middle level, people much prefer to be racing at home with their own equipment.

What does it cost?

After buying the base console or PC, a new set of steering wheel and pedals will cost around £180 for a bundle, but they can be picked up for £50-100 on the second-hand market. Once you step up to full rigs, you could easily spend £1,000 on a steering wheel base and £2,000 on a steering wheel rim – but that is not necessary at mid-level. Organised leagues run by communities of volunteers often charge £10-30 to enter a race, to cover the costs of their time and broadcasting. Motorsport UK esports has an annual membership fee of £24.99, which gives access to any event or championship run by Motorsport UK across all the different game platforms, so the more you take part in the better value it is.

Different disciplines

Circuit racing is the number one discipline and includes F1 games, F1 content on iRacing (a popular gaming platform) and lots of other open-wheel, sportscar and GT games. Rallying is also very popular, with the official World Rally Championship (WRC) game and Richard Burns Rally, even though that software title came out decades ago. Rallycross, Hillclimbs and even an official Paris Dakar challenge are options for esports enthusiasts to have a go at, and the great thing is, you can compete in one discipline, or lots of different ones, on the same equipment.

What formats are there?

It depends on the discipline. Lots of events simply mirror the events you see in other motorsport – Rally stages, circuit races, single lap challenges, endurance, sprints – but some use the technology to create events which would be impossible outside the simulator or gaming rig – such as multi-classes or Infinity, which has 24 one-hour races in 24 hours, with five different circuits and five different cars.

Are there prizes?

First past the flag or the fastest lap in single lap challenge will usually win some form of prize. Motorsport UK esports’ events and Championships often offer either driving experiences or sim racing equipment as prizes.

How many people take part?

Grids are typically between 20 and 60 people, selected either on a first-come-first-served basis or through a qualification session. Some communities have several hundred entrants
and split them up into different skill levels.

Is the competition fierce?

Just like any other sport, it really depends on how much time people you are prepared to put into it. The more practice you have, the more competitive you will be. There are rankings
and classes that can be used to help identify a suitable level or event to begin with, and some events are advertised as ‘Rookie only’.

The British F4 Championship, which is Motorsport UK esports’ top-level event, has professional teams including five from F1, with the winner going to the Night of Champions to receive the trophy alongside top drivers from other British Championships.

What makes a good esports driver?

The same skills that any good driver – clean racing lines, learning braking points, understanding telemetry and brake traces, carrying speed through the corners and getting the right gear usage – all these will help you get to the front and rise through the rankings.

Put simply, you need to know how to drive around the track on the racing line. You don’t have to be fast. It is far more about consistency and knowing how to drive on track with other cars and the etiquette and rules of racing.

How can you learn the basics?

Competitions at this level, where esports is a hobby or potential career, are trying to replicate driving a real car, so all the ‘assistance tools’ are generally switched off. This is very different to casual gaming, where the game is often on the ‘easy’ setting, assists are turned on and you can have an onscreen racing line guide. If you want to race, you will need to take that step up. Whichever game you choose, you can start by racing offline, do some practice laps on your own with other computer-controlled (AI) cars, then move to practice driving with other cars on the track, because racing is very different to just driving the perfect line every lap.

Making progress

Most games have full telemetry, so you can compare your laps to other drivers. There are also coaching platforms where you can compare videos and data from laps done by professional drivers with your own to work out areas you need to improve on. With esports practicing as much as you can will help.

Choosing an online racing series

There are often a free or cheap trial for different software titles or platforms, so try out a few and decide which one you prefer, then seek out an online community that offers competitions on these titles.

There are lots of different communities running their events on different platforms. Motorsport UK esports runs many of different events, while iRacing has a big following, although
it can be more expensive compared to others. The SRO GT World Challenge, F1, and Gran Turismo are all popular too.

The competitive esports industry runs on Discord, which is an instant messaging and social platform with online forums. Motorsport UK’s Discord Server currently has 1,200 people who are interested in, or take part in, competitions and use it for notifications of events. During racing, people use Discord’s voice channels to chat with other competitors, and some levels professional teams will have engineers and strategists in the chat communicating with drivers about gaps, when to pit, what tyres they need, and so on. It has been proven that people who are quick on simulators will be quick on a real racetrack, so it has become a possible route to a racing career.

You can make a living out of online racing, but like any sport it takes a lot of work, sacrifice and practice to get noticed by a pro team or sponsor who would then fund your entry to higher profile events and championships. Getting to the top is all about commitment, dedication and motivation.

Find out more

When you purchase a Motorsport UK esports membership at £24.99 you get a year’s subscription to iRacing (usually worth $100) for free. More details available HERE.