WFG – Simulator insights with Lando Norris

In November, four online championship event finalists and six sim racers pre-selected by a panel of experts will be heading to the McLaren Technology Centre fighting for the grand finale of the World’s Fastest Gamer competition, where they have a shot ultimate job in eSports, the chance to become one of McLaren’s official simulator drivers.

At the McLaren Technology Center in Woking Surrey England, McLaren Young Driver and F3 champion Lando Norris, explains what it takes to become a Formula 1 simulator driver. As simulators have become increasingly invaluable tools used by drivers and engineers in developing driving techniques and cars, these days the job of a simulator driver has to be taken very seriously.

Besides being able to be fast in a driver-in-the-loop simulator, the winner of the World’s Fastest Gamer competition will have to meet certain criteria. The simulator driver will have to be physically fit and possess a good technical understanding of the vehicle and its physics in order to work closely with the engineers who are developing the car.

When driving the simulator he or she has to be able to analyze and communicate his/her findings regarding set-up changes, mechanical and aerodynamic modifications, and overall car behavior and performance on a variety of different tracks and situations.

So it seems that winning the McLaren World’s Fastest Gamer competition will only be the start of a wonderful but difficult journey. It will not be a simple task for the winner to earn his seat in the highly advanced multi-million dollar McLaren F1 Simulator.