Yas Heat Academy is on the hunt for virtual racing champions

A new initiative aims to recruit local gaming talent in the motoring eSports

The Yas Heat Academy is looking to recruit local eSports gaming talent. Courtesy Yas Heat

The popularity of virtual motorsports is growing among gamers, and now fans can try their hand at sim-racing through a new initiative aimed at nurturing the skills of local talent.

The Yas Heat Open Trials is inviting motorsport gamers in the UAE to participate in try-out sessions to test their skills on a virtual racetrack. The top five talents will be selected to join the Yas Heat Academy.

Following the creation of the V10 R-League, part of the Global Racing Series, the programme is looking to recruit gamers in the region for future iterations of the league.

Over a 12-month period, the academy will work on developing and honing players's skills so they can represent the UAE in future competitions. The current UAE team for this year's event features international gamers Jaroslav "Jardier" Honzik, Eamon Murphy, Andrea Capoccia and Simone Fedele.

Participants can apply to take part in the Open Trials by answering a set of questions and sharing their experience in sim-racing. The Yas Heat team will get in touch to invite select individuals to participate in time trials against each other. Yas Marina Circuit will serve as the primary virtual racetrack.

Based on performance in the time trials, five applicants will be asked to join the academy. Beyond the V10 R-League, Yas Heat will also enter other eRacing competitions, such as Forza and Gran Turismo, among other high-profile eSport events.

"The Yas Heat eSports team is the start of a multi-year programme and commitment to develop a globally successful virtual racing ecosystem for Abu Dhabi. We are excited about the team competing in its first season in the Global Racing Series, the V10 R-league, Forza and Gran Turismo competition.

"The launch of the Open Trials will look to find the best racing talent in the UAE and the region. Yas Heat and Veloce will now work to develop next generation virtual racing champions to perform at the highest level,” said Saif Al-Noaimi, team principal of Yas Heat.

For more information, visit www.yasmarinacircuit.com/yas-heat