For most, Motorsport and sim racing are inseparably linked: Whenever we are sat in our sim rigs for the latter, we are trying to emulate the real deal - it is in the name, after all. It is safe to say that the majority of sim racers are fans of or at least interested in real racing, and, to a lesser degree, vice versa. But how did it start? We want to know: Which of the two disciplines came first for you?
Being a racing fan can be a slippery slope: Motorsport is one of the few disciplines that Average Joe cannot usually try for themselves, unlike soccer/football, darts, tennis or other sports - the costs are simply too high. So, what does a fan who wants to feel like he is in the driver's seat do? Play racing games, of course. And once the bug bites them, the next step is wanting to get a wheel and pedals - the rest does not require much imagination.
Personally, I am not quite sure where it all started for me. I have been playing racing games (which later evolved to sims) and watching motorsport events, particularly Formula 1 races early on as I grew up in the peak Schumacher years in Germany, as long as I can remember. Both were so closely linked that they built off of each other, meaning I could get a better understanding for what I was watching on TV by racing virtually myself, and picking up on techniques or small facts from the broadcasts to try and apply on the digital circuits.
Being a racing fan can be a slippery slope: Motorsport is one of the few disciplines that Average Joe cannot usually try for themselves, unlike soccer/football, darts, tennis or other sports - the costs are simply too high. So, what does a fan who wants to feel like he is in the driver's seat do? Play racing games, of course. And once the bug bites them, the next step is wanting to get a wheel and pedals - the rest does not require much imagination.
Sparking Fascination Both Ways
While this is likely the way many of the older sim racers found their way onto the virtual grid, it does work the other way around as well. Gamers might get hooked on a racing game, dive deeper and get properly into sim racing - which then raises their curiosity about the real racing series and cars they are throwing around the virtual circuits.Personally, I am not quite sure where it all started for me. I have been playing racing games (which later evolved to sims) and watching motorsport events, particularly Formula 1 races early on as I grew up in the peak Schumacher years in Germany, as long as I can remember. Both were so closely linked that they built off of each other, meaning I could get a better understanding for what I was watching on TV by racing virtually myself, and picking up on techniques or small facts from the broadcasts to try and apply on the digital circuits.
