The FIA is looking for the best SimRacing nation in the world again in 2022: The FIA Motorsport Games are set to take place from October 26th to 30th – including esports as a discipline. Over 80 racers will compete for one of the 20 spots in the final at the Circuit Paul Ricard.
Last held in 2019 as the “Digital Cup”, the FIA Motorsport Games’ esports event is going to use Assetto Corsa Competizione as a platform this time, taking over from Gran Turismo Sport. It is not just the platform for the competition, however: The FIA and developer Kunos Simulazioni are going to cooperate closely for the event. FIA Esports Commission President Niroshan Pereira explains: “We are delighted to be able to work with Kunos Simulazioni and use their Assetto Corsa Competizione product at this occasion. It is one of the most popular esports titles in the industry.”
It is up to the competing countries to select a single driver to represent them in the competition. Every FIA National Sporting Authorities can do so, and their drivers will compete in a knockout format to form the final grid of 20 SimRacers who will battle for the title at the Mistral Hall at Circuit Paul Ricard, right next to the long straight of the same name at the track. Interestingly, Kunos reportedly will create a special version of the track for the event.
“We love racing and sports, and with Assetto Corsa Competizione, each player has the opportunity to prove that skills, focus, and dedication can make the same difference in esports like when racing on a real track”, says Kunos’ Executive Manager Marco Massarutto.
Who these drivers are going to be remains to be seen. In Germany’s case, it might be the winner of the DSRC – the DMSB SimRacing Championship, meaning it is organized by the official German Motorsport Association (Deutscher Motorsport Bund). The 2022 season of the championship is already underway, with Alexey Nesov, Nick Schulte-Wissermann, Constantin Tscharf, Dylan Scrivens, Niclas Laubisch and Jan Sentkowski forming the top six ahead of the final two rounds on June 28th and July 12th.