VW announces line-up for first Virtual Racing Championship

Volkswagen Motorsport India (VMI) has announced the final names of the participants for the inaugural Volkswagen Virtual Racing Championship (VW-VRC), which is scheduled to be held from November 21, 2020. The VW-VRC is claimed to be the first-of-its-kind championship in India, where contestants will race in a virtual environment.

The inaugural VW-VRC will compose of 5 rounds with 2 races per round, and will see the 28 participants fight it out for one spot, sponsored by VMI, in the upcoming Volkswagen Polo Championship 2021. Each event will witness additional participation of 2 guest racers. Individual rounds will further consist of three practice sessions, one qualifying session and two races. The grid for the first race will be formed basis the qualifying session, while the grid for the second race will be based on the top 12 contenders finishing in the first race, being reversed for the start of the second race. Further, the format for points system for the VW-VRC will remain as the real-world Polo Championship.

The company has stated that it received over 4,500 registrations, from across the world, for the championship. The 4,500 registered participants qualified using keyboards or simulator (PC / laptop) or PlayStations for the selection stages. The contestants were provided with initial training through webinars, after which they underwent qualifying rounds. At the end, 28 participants made it to the championship and will now compete against one another in the upcoming races.

For the upcoming racing schedules, VMI will keep a track of the championship, through race controls, and will ensure that the races are being organized as per protocols. Participants will have access to data from the game to help them analyze and improve their driving skills. VMI will aim to safeguard the interest of all the participants and their teams by following all safety precautions. Additionally, VMI will take action against the participants who show unsportsmanlike behaviour, break the rules or disregard the safety protocols during the length of the championship.