The first-ever MotoGP Virtual Race will be held on Sunday, March 29. It will feature many of the top MotoGP racers competing against each other on the MotoGP 19 videogame platform. It will be similar to the MotoGP eSport Championship events, though the riders will not be competing face-to-face. It is being promoted as the #StayAtHomeGP.
Here is the 10-rider field:
- Francisco Bagnaia, Pramac Racing
- Aleix Espargaró, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini
- Iker Lecuona, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
- Alex Márquez, Repsol Honda Team
- Marc Márquez, Respol Honda Team
- Joan Mir, Team Suzuki Ecstar
- Miguel Oliveira, Red Bull KTM Tech 3
- Fabio Quartararo, Petronas Yamaha SRT
- Alex Rins, Team Suzuki Ecstar
- Maverick Viñales, Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP
Valentino Rossi had been scheduled to participate, but has withdrawn. Absent is Ducati Team’s Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci. Petrucci provided television commentary for the 2019 MotoGP eSport Championship’s final round at Misano World Circuit Simoncelli last September, and is an avid fan of the game. A gamer going by the name AndrewZh is the 2019 MotoGP eSport World Champion as part of the Ducati Team.
“I’m fast on the PlayStation,” Quartararo said, “but if you look at the standings compared to the top guys there, I’m faster in reality! But it’s true that it’s always good to have fun on the MotoGP videogame, and I’m really lucky to have one at home during these tough moments.”
The competition starts with a five-minute qualifying session in time-attack mode. Once the grid positions are set, the MotoGP stars will compete in a six-lap virtual race set at the Autodromo del Mugello. If you haven’t watched a MotoGP eSport race before, this should be an entertaining introduction.
The MotoGP Virtual Race live streaming on MotoGP.com, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, at 9 a.m. EDT. The competition will also be shown on various cable outlets around the world, including NBC in the United States and ESPN in Latin America. European outlets include BT Sport in the UK, Sky Italy, Canal+ in France, DAZN in Spain, SportTV in Portugal, Servus in Austria and Germany, Eurosport in the Netherlands, Viasat in Sweden, MTV Finland, SwissTV in Switzerland, OTE in Greece, Pop in Slovenia, Sportklub in Serbia, and Sport5 Israel. Times in each market have not been announced, so check with your providers.
