Lamborghini Roars Into Esports With 'The Real Race' Championship

Like other sim racing ventures, Lamborghini is making its move into esports with an official racing championship:  "The Real Race." The project, which the Italian supercar manufacturer announced Friday, is a collaborative effort between the supercar manufacturer and Kunos Simulazioni, the creator of the simulation racing game "Assetto Corsa Competizione."

In "Assetto Corsa Competizione," players of all skill levels will take control of a virtual Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO and race through the qualifiers that will take place over five weekends between May 29 and Aug. 2. The top 12 players in the qualifiers will travel to Lamborghini's headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy for the competition’s live final on Sept. 18. The live event will be commentated by ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard.

"I’ve paid close attention to the rise of esports. Seeing the realism of racing games and how drivers are using racing simulators to practice, or professional esports players going from simulation to the real thing, is just incredible," Coulthard said in a release.

"The Real Race is designed to portray realism and professionalism. Skills in sim racing are so transferable, which is why Lamborghini wants to give players an opportunity to test drive the real thing as part of the prize."

The winner of the event will earn three days with Lamborghini, offering the chance to train alongside the Squadra Corse team and drive the real thing.

"This is an opportunity for us to combine the excitement of virtual racing with the appeal of Lamborghini cars and our motorsports programme, said Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali.

"Esports creates an environment where race heroes and top drivers can be challenged by anyone. This encourages wider engagement with real-life racing, reflected by Lamborghini's investment in this new sports platform."

More information about "The Real Race" can be found on the league's official website.

Photo courtesy of Lamborghini.