FIA Race Licence & Gran Turismo Sport

[StiflerMR2]

There are still no real clear details how this will work, but it is an interesting concept none the less:

Back in 2014, when Gran Turismo's partnership with the FIA, motorsport's governing body, was announced, Yamauchi's ambitions were no less than reviving the sport itself, arresting its declining popularity and broadening its appeal to an all-new, younger audience. Gran Turismo Sport is the first step towards his new goal, a tie-in with the FIA that goes to astounding lengths. Get to a certain stage within the game, and you're granted your own FIA racing licence. It's a prospect so out there I'm still not entirely sure how it'll work.


"The FIA Gran Turismo digital licence is something we've discussed with automobile clubs and the FIA for the past three years," explains Yamauchi at the event. "A little bit at a time, things have been moving forward, and the world motorsports council a few months ago there was a vote to allow the announcement of this project. It's not something we're rushing into. What the programme actually entails - the licence is only granted once you go through a lot of different subjects that cover your manner on the track, safety issues - and the behaviour of the player is judged on aspects that are required in real life racing. Once you're eligible for that licence, that information will be shared from Gran Turismo to the relevant automobile clubs. From there on, it's up to those clubs to decide how they're going to handle this."

The MSA, the UK's own governing body of motorsport, is onboard, as are 21 other countries at present, and while the practicalities are yet to be clear - and there will always remain the costly issue of actually getting yourself a race car - the prospect's an exciting one. It doesn't stop there, though. Sport will play host to regular events, culminating in regional, national and international finals that are to be held at weekends, the overall winner of the season being crowned alongside the champions of F1, WRC, WEC and more at the FIA's annual prize giving. The grand final itself, meanwhile, will be adjudicated by none other than Charlie Whiting, F1's official race director since 1997. The eccentricity and authenticity of Sport knows no bounds.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016- ... -antiquity

[Ferg]

Looks like they are trying to make scheduled races consumable entertainment?

[robin]

I don't know what kind of racing they're talking about, but getting an MSA race license is probably the least costly and simplest part of any race career ... I don't believe that a video game acquired race license will make it any easier for people to start racing in real cars.

If the races and cars are to be virtual with virtual cars (I cannot actually understand what's being proposed - it's all in Ron Dennis speak ), then forcing people to get a license so that races can be less of a crash fest is a good idea - and for that the cost of a genuine race license is obviously significant (compared to sitting in your pants with an Xbox connected to mum and dad's broadband ).

It will be interesting to find out what is actually being proposed - virtual motor racing could be a great sport - though I personally find I am even more pants at virtual driving than I am at real driving - but that's not to say it's unskilled, just that I think it's a different skill from actual wheel twiddling.

Cheers,
Robin