F1 champion Button to make Le Mans 24 Hours return in virtual race
Formula 1 champion Jenson Button will make his Le Mans 24 Hours return in a virtual rFactor 2 endurance race next month
Button - the 2009 F1 champion - will drive for his Team Rocket outfit, which also competes in the GT World Challenge Europe series, in the Virtual Le Mans 24 Hours.
The Esports event, which is a partnership between Le Mans organiser the ACO, the World Endurance Championship and Motorsport Games, will take place on the original 13-14 June date of the endurance classic.
- MORE FROM THE WORLD OF ESPORTS
- Check out Motorsport Games and all of its exciting Esports products
- Rowland wins latest BRDC Esports contest
- Virtual WRX series launched in association with Motorsport Games
- Why Abt's Esports deception left Audi with no choice
- Verstappen and Norris to share LMP2 car in Le Mans Esports
- FE, IndyCar stars join JOTA's Virtual Le Mans team
The real-world Le Mans 24 Hours has been postponed to September 19-20 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Button made his real-life Le Mans debut with LMP1 privateer SMP Racing in the 2018 edition of the race, but the team was hit with a string of problems which eventually resulted in engine failure and retirement from the race during the final hour.
He was initially set to return for the following year but ultimately elected not to race and was replaced by another ex-McLaren F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne.
Button is no stranger to sim racing, having participated in a number of Esports events since the postponement of all real-life motorsport.
He currently competes in the SRO GT Esports series and made a one-off appearance in F1's Virtual Grand Prix at a virtual Albert Park.
In the Virtual Le Mans 24 Hours, Button will share an LMP2 with fellow British driver Alex Buncombe, who was previously a part of Nissan's brief LMP1 project.
The line-up will be completed by Jan van der Heyde, who represents Nissan e.dams in the Formula E Race at Home Challenge series for esports drivers, and British sim racer Matt Richards.
They will compete against the likes of Formula 1 stars Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Pierre Gasly as well as two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya, IndyCar champion Simon Pagenaud and double Formula E champion Jean-Eric Vergne.
The Virtual Le Mans 24 Hours will be streamed live on Motorsport.tv. The race starts on 13 June at 14:00 BST.
Be part of the Autosport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
St Petersburg IndyCar: Newgarden wins as Dixon claims sixth title
St Petersburg Indycar: Power takes pole as title chasers struggle
Analysis: How an unlikely tie-up won sim racing's biggest race
Why Norris' China F1 sprint pole lap was deleted and reinstated
Norris' F1 China sprint pole lap down to "all or nothing" approach
F1 team-mates' qualifying battles: Chinese GP
2024 F1 Chinese GP sprint qualifying results: Norris takes pole
Analysis: How an unlikely tie-up won sim racing's biggest race
How poor driving standards ruined IndyCar's golden opportunity
Why Leclerc's Virtual GP annihilation deserves great credit
How the hidden side of being fast has been exposed
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments