Ian Bell is no longer the Chief Executive Officer of Straight4 Studios, the development team he founded to create Project Motor Racing.
The outfit has confirmed to Traxion that Kevin Boland, previous Chief Development Officer (CDO), has assumed the CEO role effective immediately.
According to a company-issued statement, it “remains focused on supporting the Project Motor Racing community, delivering its development roadmap, and continuing to improve the player experience.”
“Straight4 Studios has an incredibly committed team and a passionate community around Project Motor Racing,” said Boland.
“My focus remains the same as it was when I first joined this talented studio: giving the team the clarity, structure, and support it needs day to day, while we continue improving the game, listening to players, and building for the long term.
“On a personal note, I’d like to thank Ian Bell for everything he has done for Straight4 Studios and for Project Motor Racing, and for the wider impact he has had on sim racing over many years.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to carry that work forward with the team.”
Ian Bell, via Straight4, was unavailable for comment.
Project Motor Racing wouldn’t exist without Ian Bell. Following the sale of his former company, Slight Mad Studios, to Codemasters in 2019, that outfit was subsequently sold to Electronic Arts in 2021.
Bell departed EA later that same year, which then set about cancelling every Codemasters racing game project apart from the official Formula 1 game.
After a mandated non-compete clause was fulfilled, he set about creating a new studio, using his own funding in the early days, hiring many of the now-redundant Project CARS 4 creation team.
He helped secure a publishing deal with first Plaion (when the game was to be called GTRRevival, then GT Revival), and then Giants Software; the latter included using its graphics engine technology previously seen in its popular Farming Simulator titles.
Bell was also responsible for pre-release hype, through a series of revealing and controversial social media posts.
At launch in November 2025, it was a confused and unfinished mess. Team cuts followed, but those who remain have continued to polish, refine and improve the platform.
It hired esteemed sim racing talisman Aristotelis Vasilakos earlier this year, which not only provided crucial development experience but also a motivational boost to the development team.
While the long-term future for Project Motor Racing is far from guaranteed, there’s now a pathway to success. Whether or not Straight4 Studios manages to find its way there rests with Kevin and Aris, leading the business forward.
If it does, Ian Bell would have played a significant role in reaching that end goal.
The near-future
The news comes at the same time significant changes are announced for the sim racing title, which include ‘rebuilt’ GT3 and GT4 car dynamics, a free Holden Commodore car, changes to the pre-multiplayer race experience and the beginning of native triple-screen support (in alpha) for PC drivers.
Discussion