German racing car manufacturer Mercedes-AMG Motorsport is committing to sim racing with a unique competition – the multi-platform Virtual Championship across PC and PlayStation.
Those with Assetto Corsa Competizione and iRacing on PC and Gran Turismo 7 for either PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 can enter the competition.
The winner will be able to drive a Mercedes-AMG Motorsport race car in the real world. Additional prizes for the second and third-place finishers will be provided from ‘the world of’ the company.
To enter, there will be hot lap competitions natively within the three respective games, using the Mercedes-AMG GT3 car, naturally. These are available in each sim from today, 14th August 2024.
Once the time trials have been completed, the quickest drivers will progress into a race series. They will be split into two divisions for six rounds (each with two races, the second of which featuring unique challenges) between September and November.
In a twist, the top three in each division will be promoted to the next higher division for the second half of the season, while the bottom three are relegated. However, according to Affalterbach, all divisions and platforms are eligible to score points for “an equal chance of overall victory and unique rewards.”
The inaugural season has been dubbed ‘Season Zero’, with the aim to learn and shape future potential sim racing championships.
“For us as a brand, Esports is a valuable platform for making the fascination of our racing cars accessible to all motorsport enthusiasts worldwide,” said Christoph Sagemüller, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport.
“With the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Virtual Championship, we are strengthening this commitment while relying on a new, interactive and cross-platform concept.”
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Virtual Championship at a glance
- Multi-platform sim racing competition
- Top prize is a test of a real-world Mercedes-AMG Motorsport car
- Run across Assetto Corsa Competizione, iRacing and Gran Turismo 7
- Hot lap competitions now live, from 14th August 2 pm CEST, in all three platforms
- The quickest drivers from the time trials will form two divisions
- These divisions will race on each platform across six race events between September and November 2024
- The top three scorers will win prizes
