Senna/Prost rivalry revived in virtual Race Off

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Bruno Senna and Nicolas Prost will go head-to-head in a new initiative dubbed the ‘Formula E Race Off’, in which both drivers will swap their real cars for virtual machinery.

The new event will be the first in a series of gaming events run by Forza 6, which will also allow fans to compete against each other and and compare fastest laps with professional racing drivers.

The Forza franchise, a racing series unique to Xbox, debuted the Formula E showcar in their fifth installation, before including all ten teams from season one in Forza 6. The career mode contains Formula E specific championships where you can also enter fan-made liveries instead of the ten original designs.

Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E, believes the use of video games can help push fan interaction.

“Since the original concept of Formula E we have always been pushing the boundaries of what’s possible both on and off the track. As a series we want to bring electric racing closer to the people focussing on revolutionising fan interaction. Along with initiatives like FanBoost, the new eSports gaming events will allow fans to engage with the sport and not only be in the presence of their favourite drivers, but competing against them too. I need to start practicing if I’m going to get high up the leaderboard!”

“We are very proud to be hosting Formula E at our arena and helping to promote their typically exciting and ground-breaking tournament,” said Neville Upton, CEO of Gfinity Arena. “This is testament to the growth of eSports across all sectors and our growing reputation of hosting fantastic and innovative events around the games.”

Senna, who competes for Mahindra Racing, said “I’m looking forward to the challenge of driving the Formula E car in a game rather than on track. There is a proven record of drivers learning real-world racing skills in the virtual world before they ever take to the track. I hope it also works in reverse so Nico and I can have a proper battle!”

Prost added “It’s a cool idea to get fans together to race in a large venue and it’s going to be a unique experience. I’m looking forward to meeting the fans we’ll be racing on track and taking on Bruno in a different kind of environment than we’re normally used to.”

The Senna vs Prost Race Off will be hosted at the Gfinity Arena, a dedicated eSports venue in Fulham, London on the 23rd January, and will be streamed live via Formula E’s official YouTube and Twitch accounts.

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Image courtesy of FIA Formula E Media

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