The GT Academy 2013 hits TV screens on ITV4 for three episodes airing weekly from Wednesday 27 November.
The innovative competition pits the fastest Gran Turismo gamers in Europe against each other, with the winner being fast-tracked through to become a professional racing driver.
With the highly anticipated Gran Turismo 6 launching on December 6, this year’s GT Academy qualifying stage took place on an exclusive GT6 demo, allowing fans a sneak preview of the game. Over 765,000 gamers in 16 countries entered the qualifying rounds, with National Final events held throughout Europe, narrowing down the entries to the 42 best gamers. The 42 then made their way to Silverstone in September 2013 for a week at the GT Academy European Race Camp, where the transition from gamer to racer began.
The competitors sampled various Nissan race cars, from Nissan Micras to GT-Rs, as they were put through their paces to pinpoint the drivers with the most potential. They also were tested off-track, with driver psychology training and tough fitness sessions to see who, if any, would crack under the pressure of being a professional racing driver.
ITV4 follows the six UK competitors as they attempt to realise their dream of becoming a racing driver. The show will see eliminations throughout the Race Camp, with viewers able to witness the heartbreak and triumph as the group is whittled down to a last-man-standing battle between the UK entrants.
The first ever GT Academy winner, Jann Mardenborough, BTCC driver Paul O’Neill and British female karting champion Tiff Chittenden are also on hand to offer advice and guidance to the drivers, as well as having to choose who goes home. Formula 1 and Le Mans 24 Hours winner Johnny Herbert also returns as Head Judge.
The first episode of the GT Academy airs at 8pm on Wednesday 27 November, running for three weeks on ITV4. Each episode will be repeated on Saturdays, 30 November at 5pm, 7 December at 5:30pm and 14 December at 5pm.
