Past and present Formula 1 racers to join virtual Le Mans 24 hours

After Fernando Alonso, it seems some of the current Formula 1 drivers will soon be participating in the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race.

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, McLaren’s Lando Norris, AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly, Alfa Romeo’s Antonio Giovinazzi, and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc have all confirmed their entry for the upcoming endurance race. Unlike Alonso, however, they won’t be participating in the live race scheduled to take place in September. Instead, the Formula 1 drivers will be joining the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual scheduled to take place this June 13/14.

Verstappen and Norris will be driving the No. 20 Oreca 07 LMP2 car for the esport race. They will be joined by sim racers Atze Kerkhof and Greger Huttu which complete the lineup for Team Redline. Meanwhile, Ferrari’s official entry into the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual includes Leclerc and Giovinazzi together with sim racers Enzo Bonito and David Tonizza. They will be driving the No. 52 Ferrari 488 GTE Evo. Gasly will be driving the No. 24 car for Veloce Esports and will be racing with Formula E driver Jean-Eric Vergne. They are joined by sim racers, Jarno Opmeer and Isaac Gillissen.

Aside from current Formula 1 drivers, some former F1 world champions will also be taking part in the upcoming virtual endurance race. 2009 World Champion Jenson Button will be racing for No. 23 Team Rocket Zansho. Meanwhile, two-time F1 champion and two-time Le Mans winner Fernando Alonso will be racing with F1 legend Rubens Barrichello for FA/RB Allinsports. Interestingly, the Spaniard will not be racing for the Toyota Gazoo Racing team, who will be participating in the virtual Le Mans race as well.

Nearly 200 drivers will be taking part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual. Other big-name drivers participating include Indy 500 winners Juan Pablo Montoya and Simon Pagenaud; W Series Champion Jamie Chadwick, Felipe Massa, and Kamui Kobayashi to name a few.

After seeing the complete driver’s lineup, it seems like the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual is shaping up to be as interesting as the real race re-scheduled to September. The esport race will be broadcast live around the world on June 13/14.