Abt Schaeffler Audi Team Principal Hans-Jurgen Abt has said that this weekend’s Las Vegas eRace proves that Formula E is a step ahead of other sports.
The event will see ten expert sim racers join the twenty current Formula E drivers in a virtual race to win part of a $1 million prize fund.
It’s the first time Formula E has put on such an event, and has been used to plug the substantial gap between rounds two and three of the championship.
Despite the race having no impact on the driver’s and team’s championship, Abt said that the race was a ‘total first’, and that his team’s will to win was just as strong as in any normal race.
“The eRace is a good example of how Formula E is time and again a step ahead of many other sporting disciplines,” he said.
“For more than six decades, we have been racing in motorsport on all of the world’s race tracks – but this event is a total first for us.
“I wish our three guys a lot of fun and, of course, a lot of luck – whether virtual or on asphalt: we always want to win.”
His son and team driver Daniel Abt, an avid Playstation fan and long-time gamer, also said he was looking forward to the race.
But he admitted that it would be the sim racers would have the advantage going into the race.
He commented, “The action on the screen is completely different than on the track, because all the physical factors are missing.
“So the simulator pros will surely have the advantage.”