Lanarkshire F1 player embarking on a dream career with McLaren

A teenager from Lanarkshire has found his dream job in virtual Formula 1 racing.

Delighted Wilson Hughes is now more determined than ever to show that online gaming can lead to real races.

And with the 16-year-old’s recently signed contract with the McLaren Shadow Academy, he’s on the right track.

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The eSports team competes in professional championships where players get behind the virtual controls of their PC to win a £ 1 million prize pool.

Former Hamilton College student Wilson says that while he literally dreamed of being poached by one of the gaming community’s big hitters, he was still shocked when McLaren called.

He told Lanarkshire Live, “I was sitting on my bed when I got the news, just thinking, ‘Is this real?’

“Before I got the news, I had actually dreamed of it, but I was still completely shocked, it was surreal.

“In a way, I was expecting it because I rode very well during that time and it wasn’t a big surprise.

“For me it was dream news and I just want to build on it for the future. I’ve always wanted to be a racing driver, that’s my greatest dream in life. Without that, I wouldn’t feel complete.

McLaren Shadow has signed Wilson for the 2021/22 F1 Esports season
(Image: Lanarkshire Live)

“I just want to grow as a person and as a driver. And take me to the next level and prove to everyone that sim racing can be a path to real racing. “

Wilson’s virtual racing car (known as the Rig) is built at home in Symington and mirrors that of a real F1 vehicle with the same seat, steering wheel, pedals and controls.

He spends up to six hours a day racing while chasing his dream where the money and opportunities are huge.

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Wilson added: “I am trying not to waste too much of my youth on the game but it has to be done as the money and the future in it are very big.

“Sometimes I’m up quite late, but I think I’m doing pretty well now.

“If you’re doing well enough and you’re on people’s radar, a team will contact you at some point. I was lucky enough to be contacted by McLaren.

“They wrote to me that they wanted me to delve deeper into the matter, contract negotiations finally came, I signed and it was announced a few weeks ago.”

The 16-year-old’s role at McLaren will go through the team academy, where he’ll help their top drivers perfect their set-up for the competitions – where Wilson wants to be in the not-too-distant future.

“My role is to help the main riders with the setup and take as much stress away from them as possible,” he explained.

“And if I do well enough in the leagues this year, I can hopefully see myself on a main pitch next year.

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“The setup is how the car is in play, so I set up aerodynamics, suspension, geometry, tire pressures and all that stuff.

“Esports is definitely a lot more loved these days, especially among younger audiences.

“At this point it is really home to get into real racing. There are a lot of people who started out in esports or sim racing in general and then went into real races. So it’s definitely the starting point.

“I would like to do real races, I don’t know whether this will be a chance in the future, but we just have to wait and see.”

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