DIGITAL ELEMENT ADDED TO FIA RALLY STAR PROGRAMME
The FIA has introduced a new route into the Rally Star talent search programme, making it possible for gamers to become World Rally Championship drivers for less than £50.
Twelve ‘rally at home’ events are being organised from February 27 until August 26. They will be open to drivers aged 17 to 26 using WRC 9, the official video game of the WRC from NACON and KT Racing.
The 12 winners will qualify for one of the six continental finals depending on where they live.
WRC 9, which is available for PlayStation, Xbox and PC, retails at £39.00, while the FIA Rally Star DLC costs £7.99 for a total outlay of £49.98.
The eventual prize is coaching, testing and national competition in a Rally3 car before potentially a Junior WRC campaign in 2023.
Jerome Roussel, the FIA’s regional rally manager who heads up the Rally Star programme, said: “The new level of realism in WRC 9 gives us the opportunity to propose this challenge to all of the sport’s fans around the world.
“The next Sebastien Loeb,
Ott Tanak or Sebastien Ogier may well already be practising on their console or PC. We just need to find them.”
With Covid-19 making it increasingly difficult for
ASNs around the world to organise their own massparticipation selection events, the WRC 9-based ‘rally at home’route is expected to be used more and more to select continental finalists as well as increasing participation.
Motorsport Ireland and Motorsport UK have yet to announce their official involvement in FIA Rally
Star but both are expected to organise selection events to determine their drivers for the European final.