Everything you need to know about the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series

Justin Melillo
Everything that you’ll need to know regarding the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series, including schedule, rosters, dates and where to watch.
two LMP2 cars at Bahrain Le Mans Virtual Series

The Le Mans Virtual Series season returns for a second season for 2022-23 and once again will feature some of the biggest names in racing, both real-world and virtual, from drivers, teams, venues, sponsors, and promotors.

A five-race season concludes with a full 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual race at the famed Circuit de la Sarthe in January of 2023. Before that, there are four events at tracks including Bahrain, Monza, Spa and Sebring to help set the stage for the big Le Mans finale.

What is the Le Mans Virtual Series? 

The Le Mans Virtual Series is a sim racing esports racing competition that is competed virtually. A large number of teams and a larger number of talented drivers will compete in multi-class endurance racing across a multitude of virtual tracks.

GTE cars at Bahrain Le Mans Virtual Series

What prize is up for grabs in the Le Mans Virtual Series? 

There is a total prize fund of US $250,000 that will be split up throughout the season.

Which cars compete in the Le Mans Virtual Series? 

There are two classifications of cars, the LMP2 and GTE, that will compete in the Le Mans Virtual Series again in the 2022-23 season.

LMP – Oreca 07 LMP2 – the Prototype field of 24 teams, the faster of the two classes.

GTE – Manufacturer-based tin-top racecars which include:

  • Aston Martin Vantage GTE
  • BMW M8 GTE
  • Ferrari 488 GTE
  • Porsche 911 RSR GTE

What platform does the Le Mans Virtual Series use? 

The Le Mans Virtual Series uses the rFactor 2 simulation platform by Studio 397 and Motorsport Games.

How do teams enter the Le Mans Virtual Series? 

They are selected via an entry process and approved by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and Motorsport Games sanctioning bodies. For each subsequent year, the priority is existing teams, while new teams can apply if any gaps appear.

Porsche vs LMP2 at Bahrain Le Mans Virtual Series

How are drivers selected for the Le Mans Virtual Series? 

Drivers are decided by each respective team, where they are responsible to invite and organise before confirming with the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and Motorsport Games sanctioning bodies for the Le Mans Virtual Series.

One ‘Pro’ driver must race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual and at least one Le Mans Virtual Series race preceding the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, this is required for each entered car. 

A ‘Pro’ driver must be FIA Graded, but there are two small exceptions. One such is an FIA Super Licence holder, such as the 2021 Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen. The other exception is a real-world driver of exceptional or notable talent as decided upon by the ACO and Motorsport Games sanctioning bodies for the Le Mans Virtual Series.

If the ‘Pro’ driver is at a Bronze level grading, a Silver ‘Pro’ driver must join them for the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.

What is the first Le Mans Virtual Series race? 

The first race of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series is the 8 Hours of Bahrain.

When is the Le Mans Virtual Series’ 8 Hours of Bahrain? 

The 8 Hours of Bahrain will take place on Saturday 17th September 2022, with qualifications starting the prior day, 16th September 2022.

Bahrain Porsche Le Mans Virtual Series

How can I watch the Le Mans Virtual Series 8 Hours of Bahrain? 

There will be multiple ways to watch, but we hope you watch it with us here on the Traxion.GG YouTube, Facebook and Twitch channels.

The 24 Heuers du Mans, FIA WEC and European Le Mans Series YouTube channels, plus the Facebook pages for the FIA WEC and the titular Le Mans Virtual will also carry the event live.

What time is the Le Mans Virtual Series 8 Hours of Bahrain qualifying? 

The Le Mans Virtual Series qualifying for the 8 Hours of Bahrain will commence directly after the Le Mans Virtual Cup race on the same day and broadcast. Each of the two classifications will get their own 20-minute session.

  • Le Mans Virtual Series GTE qualifying – Friday 16th September at 19:10 BST / 20:10 CEST / 11:10 PT / 14:10 ET
  • Le Mans Virtual Series LMP qualifying – Friday 16th September at 19:40 BST / 20.40 CEST / 11:40 PT / 14:40 ET

What time is the Le Mans Virtual Series 8 Hours of Bahrain race? 

The Le Mans Virtual Series 8 Hours of Bahrain will start on Saturday 17th September at 13:00 BST / 14:00 CEST / 05:00 PT / 08:00 ET.

Bahrain International Circuit, rFactor 2 Le Mans Virtual Series

Who are the stand-out drivers in the Le Mans Virtual Series 8 Hours of Bahrain? 

Some of the top level talent that we will see in the opening round of the 2022-23 Le Mans Virtual Series include well-known real-world talent such as Alon Day, James Baldwin, Sérgio Sette Câmara and Dylan Pereira.

We’ll also see the likes of some of the best esports drivers around a multitude of different simulations, those drivers including Mitchell deJong, Diogo Pinto, Joshua Rogers and of course, Jeffrey Rietveld.

What is the Le Mans Virtual Series Cup? 

The Le Mans Virtual Series Cup is a complimentary series to the Le Mans Virtual Series that is open to the rFactor 2 community. A four-race series that races adjacent to the main series with the chance of qualifying for a drive in the 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual being the prize on the line.

You can watch the first race at Sebring before the qualifying sessions for the Le Mans Virtual Series 8 Hours of Bahrain on Friday, 16th September at 18:10 BST / 19:10 CEST / 10:10 PT / 13:10 ET.

Le Mans Virtual Cup Sebring battling LMP3

When is the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual 2023? 

The 2023 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will happen on the 14th and 15th in January of 2023.

Le Mans Virtual Series 2022-23 Calendar 

  • Round 1 – 8 Hours of Bahrain, Bahrain – 17th September 2022
  • Round 2 – 4 Hours of Monza, Italy – 8th October 2022
  • Round 3 – 6 Hours of Spa, Belgium – 5th November 5 2022
  • Round 4 – 500 Miles of Sebring, USA – 3rd December 2022
  • Round 5 – 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – 14th-15th January 2023

Le Mans Virtual Series 8 Hours of Bahrain entry list 

40 teams with three drivers each will take part in the opening round of the series.

LMP ENTRY LIST

LMPCARNoDRIVER 1 DRIVER 2 DRIVER 3 
1Team RedlineOreca 07 LMP21Luke BennettJeffrey RietveldMaximilian Benecke
2Team RedlineOreca 07 LMP22Josh ThompsonMichal SmidlDiogo Pinto
3Floyd Vanwall-BurstOreca 07 LMP24Jesper PedersenJernej SimončičDamian Skowron*
4Williams EsportsOreca 07 LMP25Sami-Matti Trogen (PRO)Jack KeithleyPetar Brljak
5R8G ESPORTSOreca 07 LMP28Jiri TomanErhan JajovskiMarcell Csincsik
6Pescarolo Esport MonacoOreca 07 LMP216Alon Day (PRO)Thomas ImbourgCsaba Kiss
7R8G ESPORTSOreca 07 LMP218Martin HemmingsenChristopher HögfeldtUlas Ozyldirim
8Porsche CoandaOreca 07 LMP220Mitchell deJongTommy ØstgaardZac Campbell
9SEM9 Axle SportsOreca 07 LMP221Naquib AzlanJosh PurwienInigo Anton
10Rocket SimsportOreca 07 LMP222Jordan Albert*Sean CampbellFerris Stanley
11Porsche CoandaOreca 07 LMP223Joshua RogersMack BakkumMartin Krönke
12YAS HEAT VELOCEOreca 07 LMP228Isaac GillissenEamonn MurphyMarko Pejic
13Mexico Racing TeamOreca 07 LMP229Alejandro VargasAlberto GironellaManuel De Samaniego
14Alpine EsportsOreca 07 LMP236Collin SporkRory MacDuffTom Lartilleux
15ARC BratislavaOreca 07 LMP244Andrej Marecak*Jakub StofkoErik Vizi
16AMG Team Williams EsportsOreca 07 LMP253Michael RomanidisNikodem WisniewskiJakub Brzezinski
17Brabham EsportsOreca 07 LMP262Devin BrauneMika HakimiBorja Millan
18AMG Team Petronas EsportsOreca 07 LMP263James Baldwin (PRO)Bono HuisGraham Carroll
19Panis Racing TeamOreca 07 LMP265Florian LebigreThibault CazaubonYannick Lapchin
20GR Vector eSportOreca 07 LMP286Jan GranqvistDaniel BrewerTom Stevens
21Arnage CompetitionOreca 07 LMP2100Jimmy AntunesAdam PinczesJanos Bracsok
22GR Vector eSportOreca 07 LMP2101Liam de WaalMattia CruppiPhillip Drayss*
23Nextview Vanwall-BurstOreca 07 LMP2444Sergio Sette Camara (PRO)Michi HoyerDawid Mroczek
24Team FordzillaOreca 07 LMP2966Luke Browning (PRO)Gianmarco FiduciAlessandro Ottaviani

GTE ENTRY LIST

GTE CARNo.DRIVER 1 DRIVER 2 DRIVER 3 
25MAHLE Racing TeamBMW M8 GTE10Michele D’AlessandroMuhammed PatelEros Masciulli
26Project 1 by Dörr EsportsPorsche 911 RSR GTE11Marc Gassner (PRO)Moritz LöhnerLeonard Krippner
27Inspeed RacingPorsche 911 RSR GTE25Xiayufei LiYanzhe LiYaocheng Quan
28SIM MaranelloFerrari 488 GTE26Christian MalgheraAndrea TerziGianluca Scalvini*
29SF Velas Esports TeamFerrari 488 GTE51Kasper StoltzeJordy ZwiersChristian Michel
30Satellite RacingAston Martin Vantage GTE64David Pittard (PRO)Henri SinikJimi Nisula
31SIMMSA EsportsFerrari 488 GTE66Ramez Azzam (PRO)Sebastian WunschPatrick Schindler
32BMW Team RedlineBMW M8 GTE71Chris LulhamKevin SiggyEnzo Bonito
33Proton Coanda EsportsPorsche 911 RSR GTE77Dayne WarrenCharlie CollinsPaschalis Gkergkis
34Proton Coanda EsportsPorsche 911 RSR GTE88Dylan Pereira (PRO)Kevin van DoorenJoni Takanen
35BMW Team BS+COMPETITIONBMW M8 GTE89Bruno Spengler (PRO)Ibraheem KhanJoonas Raivio
36Prodrive FYRA EsportAston Martin Vantage GTE95Lasse Sørensen (PRO)Mikkel GadeLasse Bak
37Oracle Red Bull RacingPorsche 911 RSR GTE99Cooper Webster*Yuri KasdorpDennis Jordan
38P1 EsportPorsche 911 RSR GTE111Marcus JensenTurkka HäkkinenRasmus Busk
39D’station RacingAston Martin Vantage GTE777Remi DelormeMarc VeitToshiya Nojima
40R8G ESPORTSFerrari 488 GTE888Alexander Smolyar (PRO)Timotej AndonovskiRisto Kappet

Full disclosure – Traxion.GG is part of Motorsport Games and the Motorsport Games family of brands. All Traxion.GG content is editorially removed from Motorsport Games video game development and created by a dedicated team. Traxion.GG is one of the official media partners of the Le Mans Virtual Series.

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