After 10 days of frantic online time trialling, the qualifying for the Olympic Virtual Series Motor Sport Event is over and the entrants moving on to the World Final are confirmed.
Entry was open between the 13th May and the 23rd May 2021 for anyone with a PS5 or PS4 and a copy of GT Sport. Using a Toyota GR Supra Racing Concept Gr.3 in a unique Olympic-themed livery, players had to set their fastest laps around the Tokyo Expressway – South Inner Loop, with the top competitors from the online leaderboard progressing.
There was also a limit on the number of participants that go through from each of the five regions, and then it can only be the top person from each individual country with the areas that made it through. The 16 drivers taking part are now set, as officially confirmed by Gran Turismo Producer Kazunori Yamauchi.
Williams Esports driver and former FIA Nations Cup runner-up Valerio Gallo from Italy set the fastest time in the world and leads the finalists. He was just over half a tenth quicker in the European contingent than R8G eSports’ Baptiste Beauvois.
In Asia, the top qualifier was Japan’s Takuma Miyaono, last year’s GT Sport FIA Nations and Manufacturer champion. Andrew Brooks from Canada and Daniel Solis were the North American qualifiers, while in Central & South America, Angel Inostroza and perennial GT Sport competitor Igor Fraga both made it through.
Only one place was available to the Oceania region, with Australia’s Adam Wilk making the cut.
The Virtual Olympic Games is an initiative by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to shine a light on the expanding world of esports. It will be held during the run-up to the 2020 Summer Olympics that starts on the 23rd July 2021 in Tokyo. The World Finals will be happening on the 23rd June 2021 across three online races in identical cars to decide the first virtual racing Olympic champion.
