BMW SIM Racing crowns its champions and presents innovative new features at the end-of-season finale.

Munich. BMW SIM Racing broadcast the third edition of BMW SIM Live on Saturday and Sunday live from BMW Welt in Munich (GER). This was the end of the season grand sim racing finale at the event which celebrated its debut back in 2019. For the first time, the final races in the BMW SIM Cups were held on the three major simulation platforms, iRacing, rFactor 2 and Assetto Corsa Competizione. The titles went to Joshua Rogers (AUS, BMW SIM GT Cup, iRacing), Erhan Jajovski (MKD, BMW SIM M2 CS Racing Cup, rFactor 2) and Nils Naujoks (GER, BMW SIM Time Attack, Assetto Corsa Competizione). A total prize purse of approaching 90,000 euros was up for grabs at the weekend, however the focus of the two shows was also on the 2022 BMW SIM Racing season and some fascinating technological innovations – including an all-new motion platform in collaboration with D-BOX and RaceX, as well as an entry-level steering wheel devised with Fanatec.

“Twice is a repeat, three times is tradition,” said Pia Schörner, BMW Group Head of Gaming and Sponsoring. “That is exactly what we wanted to achieve when we started to get involved in the sim racing and Esports community. We want to be a long-term and reliable partner – and that is what we are. Events like BMW SIM Live are a key element in this. Congratulations to all the winners of the BMW SIM Cup finals!”

BMW SIM CUP FINALS.

On Saturday, the opening evening of BMW SIM Live was all about the finals of the BMW SIM Time Attack on Assetto Corsa Competizione and the BMW SIM M2 CS Racing Cup on rFactor 2. Both races were showdowns between the twelve drivers who had qualified for the final over the course of the season. On Sunday evening, the sim racing elite crowned its champion in the BMW SIM GT Cup on the iRacing platform. 23 drivers battled it out for victory in two races – first in the virtual BMW M8 GTE and then the BMW M4 GT3. The trophies for all three BMW SIM Cup champions were designed by BMW Group Designworks and made from sustainable materials, in line with the ‘circular design’ approach. At the BMW Group, this is based on the four principles: RE:THINK, RE:DUCE, RE:USE and RE:CYCLE.

BMW SIM Time Attack.

Nils Naujoks was the winner after 20 minutes of racing in the BMW M4 GT4 on the digital Silverstone circuit, being awarded prize money of 8,000 euros. Second place and 4,000 euros went to Daniel Savini (ITA), with third place and 2,000 Euros to Tobias Pfeffer (GER).

Nils Naujoks said: “This was the reward for all the hard work in the week preparing for this race. I really feel at home at Assetto Corsa Competizione. It was a bit hectic for me in qualifying and also before the start but the race itself went very well.”

BMW SIM M2 CS Racing Cup.

Thirteen rivals competed against each other in the BMW M2 CS Racing on the virtual Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Erhan Jajovski was the winner after a dramatic battle that lasted to the final corner. With this victory, he successfully defended last year’s title and secured prize money of 6,000 euros. Marcell Csincszik (HUN) had to admit defeat by only a narrow margin, but by finishing second was rewarded with prize money of 3,000 euros. Third place and 1,500 Euros went to Jiri Toman (CZE).

Erhan Jajovski said: “It has always been very close between Marcell and me this season and that was also the case in this final race. I was surprised that he did not attack me earlier in the race as we always were very close behind each other. In the end I was lucky, I think. I very well defended the inside line in the final corner and am very happy about my victory.”

BMW SIM GT Cup.

Coming from P5 on the grid after the first race of the evening with the BMW M8 GTE on the Sebring International Raceway, which determined the starting positions for the Main Race at the virtual Red Bull Ring, defending champion Joshua Rogers stormed through the high-class field with his BMW M4 GT3 and took the win as well as 25,000 US Dollars of prize money. P2 went to his Coanda Simsport teammate Charlie Collins (GBR), who will receive a 15,000-US dollar cheque for his success. Team Redline driver Diogo Pinto (POR) finished third to gain 7,500 US Dollars.

Joshua Rogers said: “I was very nervous before the race, especially because our starting position wasn’t ideal. For me coming in for my pitstop early made sense in order to stay out of trouble and get some clean air afterwards. This undercut worked in the end. I pushed really hard until I could see that my strategy would play out, as soon as the others came in for their pitstops. Then a gained a lot more confidence.”

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BMW SIM TECHNOLOGY: BMW HAPTIC PLATFORM AND FANATEC CSL STEERING WHEEL BMW.

The big technological innovation for the coming season is the BMW haptic platform, which BMW SIM Racing has developed in collaboration with D-BOX and RaceX. Exclusive know-how from BMW Motorsport’s professional racing simulator is incorporated in the moving platform for sim rigs. BMW SIM technology motion cueing, in particular, takes the quality of the BMW haptic platform to a new level. ‘Motion cueing’ is a translation of the driving dynamic values arising from the simulation environment into ‘cues’ – transformed stimuli that provide the driver, as precisely and realistically as possible, with information on what the virtual car is doing at that moment,” said Rudolf Dittrich, Head of BMW SIM Technology. “In short, the better the motion cueing, the more realistically the sim racer feels the movements of the haptic platform. This not only hugely improves the driving experience – the so-called immersion – but also helps to drive the vehicle at the limit and to develop the vehicle set-up more accurately.”

Sébastien Mailhot, CEO of D-BOX Technologies Inc., said: “D-BOX prides itself in creating the world’s only high-fidelity haptic feedback experience worthy of the FIA's official stamp of approval. Combined with BMW's unparalleled attention to details and knowledge, we have been able to tinker with the feedback even more precisely, which allowed us to craft the most accurate sim racing experience, rivaling what only multi-million dollar simulators are capable of doing today.”

Richard Schouteren, CEO of SIM-LAB B.V., added: “We are proud that BMW has chosen our RaceX branded frame as basis for this new motion platform. Our long-lasting partnership with D-BOX injected with the professional BMW sports simulation software make this an unprecedented ride for the e-racing community.”

As well as the BMW haptic platform, BMW SIM Racing has also been involved in another hardware project. In conjunction with Fanatec, they have come up with an entry-level sim racing steering wheel that offers newcomers to the sport the highest possible quality at an attractive price of 139.95 euros. The steering wheel is called the Fanatec CSL Steering Wheel BMW and is available in the Fanatec online shop now. This product once more pays testament to the BMW SIM Racing principle to not only support and promote top-level sim racing, but also to give any digitally interested racing enthusiast the opportunity to experience this Esports discipline.

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BMW SIM RACING NEWS.

As at the first two events, BMW Esports again used BMW SIM Live to introduce its programme for the coming season, present news about BMW’s sim racing project, and inspire with technological innovations.

Cups, teams and cars.

In 2022, victories and titles are again at stake in the BMW SIM GT Cup and BMW SIM Time Attack. The BMW M4 GT3 is the only car in the BMW SIM GT Cup on iRacing. The BMW SIM Time Attack on Assetto Corsa Competizione features the full range of virtual BMW M Motorsport cars – from the BMW M2 CS Racing and the BMW M4 GT4 to the BMW M4 GT3. New to the programme is the BMW SIM Trophy, in which drivers from all over the world can win trophies in different cars and on different platforms, which are then presented at BMW SIM Live 2022.

BMW Team Redline, BMW Team BS+COMPETITION and BMW Team G2 Esports will line up as BMW SIM Racing teams at the major events on various platforms in 2022.

The virtual BMW M4 GT3, which was a big success on iRacing in 2021, will also be available on Assetto Corsa Competizione from 24th November and in the mobile game Real Racing 3 in 2022. There will be a completely new car on rFactor 2 in 2022, the BMW Formula Pro. BMW is the first manufacturer to present an initial concept for a special car design for this virtual championship. The free areas of the BMW Formula Pro car were designed by BMW Group Designworks. “In the virtual world, designers have the freedom to present things that were physically impossible up to now,” said Michael Scully, Global Automotive Director at BMW Group Designworks, describing the appeal of this task.

About BMW Esports.

BMW has been collaborating with five of the world’s best teams as a partner in the classic League of Legends game since 2020. Cloud 9, FNATIC, FunPlus Phoenix, G2 Esports and T1 fly the BMW colours in the biggest events in the industry. The highlight of the first collaborative season in 2020 was the Worlds, in which G2 esports and FNATIC made it to the knock-out stage of the finals in the battle of the world’s best teams. G2 Esports even made it to the semi-final. The Dota 2 specialists OG Esports are a new addition to the ‘United in Rivalry’ squad as of 2021. The involvement in Esports gives BMW completely new touch points with a dynamic, rapidly growing community; making Esports an important future field for BMW marketing activities. BMW has prominent representatives in sim racing as well, and has integrated BMW SIM Racing into its racing programme as a standalone pillar. The BMW SIM Cups attract the world’s best sim racers, who do battle for wins, titles and attractive cash prizes in virtual BMW racing cars. BMW SIM Racing teams are taking part for the first time in 2021. BS+COMPETITION, G2 Esports, Team GB and Team Redline represent BMW on various simulation platforms.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees. The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

About D-BOX.

D-BOX creates and redefines realistic, immersive entertainment experiences by moving the body and sparking the imagination through effects: motion, vibration and texture. D-BOX has collaborated with some of the best companies in the world to deliver new ways to enhance great stories. Whether it’s movies, video games, music, relaxation, virtual reality applications, themed entertainment or professional simulation, D-BOX creates a feeling of presence that makes life resonate like never before. D-BOX Technologies Inc. (TSX: DBO) is headquartered in Montreal with offices in Los Angeles, USA and Beijing, China. Visit D-BOX.com.

About SIM-LAB.

SIM-LAB B.V. is a leading manufacturer of high-quality sim racing related hardware. SIM-LAB’s drive is to enhance virtual racing experiences with uncompromising solutions that push the boundaries of e-sports. With in-house engineering and production facilities we combine Dutch Design with high-end craftsmanship. The RaceX frame is composed of 50 mm diameter tubes of aluminum welded together, forming an extremely rigid single-piece frame. Assembly of the Cockpit is done within moments by attaching the wheel-deck and pedal-deck. Because of the choice of material, the aluminum tube sub-frame weighs eight kilograms, which makes it the perfect platform for the BMW motion solution.