Both Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso will be back in action as the two will compete against each other in the virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans this month, with a prize pool of £ 183,000 up for grabs.
Known as a huge fan of virtual racing, Verstappen will be attending the event for Team Redline, for which he has raced in the past.
The Formula 1 champion is supported by McLaren’s IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist and the two Simra racers Max Benecke and Atze Kerkhof.
Alonso will also take part in the race as, despite not driving himself, he will become the captain of Team Alpine.
The F1 pair won’t be the only high profile names in and around the event as the teams must have two FIA rated drivers.
Therefore, Juan Pablo Montoya will drive for the LMVS Guest Car with his son Sebastian, while the 2021 IndyCar champion Alex Palou will drive for the Fordzilla team.
In addition to some of the biggest names from the real world of racing, some of the best from the virtual racetrack will also be there as the two previous winners of the World’s Fastest Gamer Award – Rudy van Buren and James Baldwin – will take part.
Verstappen’s virtual appearance takes place just a month after his first Formula 1 title after a dramatic season finale in Abu Dhabi in December.
In the very last lap, the Dutchman preceded title rival Lewis Hamilton in the world championship to write himself in Red Bull and Formula 1 history.
That came after the 24-year-old took advantage of a controversial decision by Michael Masi to let a number of lapped cars pass a safety car between title rivals, allowing Verstappen to stand almost side by side with leading Hamilton.
The pair then had to fight for the title in one lap, and Verstappen took advantage of a recent tire change to crown themselves world champions.
Both Hamilton and Verstappen played arguably one of the most memorable title races in the history of the sport, as the two separated more than the rest of the grid throughout the campaign.
