The ACTUAL Le Mans 24 Hours has been delayed until September. But fear not, you’ll still have some motor racing to watch the weekend of 13 June. It’ll just be a bit different from what you’re used to…

Yup, the ACO, FIA World Endurance Championship and Motorsport Games have just announced they’ll hold an official virtual Le Mans 24 Hours on the same weekend the proper event was supposed to take place. Set to be broadcast live on TV the world over, it will be contested by a maximum of 50 teams of four drivers each.

Teams are to be made up of at least two professional racing drivers and no more than two sim racers, each of whom must drive for a minimum of four and a maximum of seven hours. It’ll use rFactor 2 on the PC, and teams will be able to design their own livery for the LMP2 or GTE-class car in which they’ll compete.

To make the race as lifelike as possible, the weather in-game will be changeable, and day will progress to night (and eventually day again) as it would do in real life. Cars will take damage, which can be repaired in the pits, and teams will have to suss out their own tyre/fuel strategies and setup. A Race Director will be enlisted to make sure everyone plays fair.

No entries have been confirmed, but it’s thought manufacturers like Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche could all field teams.

The flag drops on 13 June. Will you be watching?

STORY Tom Harrison