Ways to Race the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtually

With just one week left before the 89th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, it’s a great time to highlight some of the ways we can enjoy racing it virtually.

A massive field of cars is set to take on the historic Circuit de la Sarthe on August 21st and 22nd for the 89th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Last year's event was held behind closed doors due to COVID-19, but the race has once again opened its doors to the public this year. Those fortunate enough to attend the race will see the reigning fastest class at Le Mans, LMP1, replaced with the Hypercar class.

There is a Le Mans / WEC game coming in the future from Motorsport Games, but for now, we can content ourselves with some excellent alternatives to recreate the famous endurance race from the comfort of our homes. Hypercar class cars have yet to establish a presence in the virtual racing world, but many current and historic classes and cars are available in select titles. Here are some ways to recreate the 24 Hours of Le Mans in some popular racing games and racing sims.



RFactor 2

RFactor 2 was selected as the platform for the FIA sanctioned 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual last year, which is high praise for Studio 397’s title. Le Mans 24h is available as DLC for rFactor 2, and can be supplemented with the Endurance Pack DLC, which brings some excellent LMP2, LMP3 and GTE cars to the sim. LMP1 is trickier to acquire since rF2 doesn’t support hybrid powertrains, but the non-hybrid Ginetta G60-LT-P1 from Global Endurance Modding can be found in the rFactor 2 Steam Workshop.

iRacing

The king of online racing is an obvious choice for enjoying some action at Circuit de la Sarthe. Although the official event has come and gone, there is still the chance to enjoy a hosted event or some hotlapping. iRacing offers LMP1, LMP2 and GTE classes.

Project CARS 2

The hotly debated Project CARS 2 title offers a surprisingly deep experience for those looking to easily recreate Le Mans in the comfort of their home. In addition to PC2 offering the standard modern track and LMP1, LMP2 LMP3 and GTE cars of recent years, those who purchase the Spirit of Le Mans DLC will get the chance to race a historic layout of Le Mans using some classic race car classes. PC2 also offers excellent day and night transitions, plus dynamic weather conditions to add layers of complexity to your experience.

Assetto Corsa

It’s no surprise that the most customizable racing sim in the world offers the chance to experience the 24 Hours of Le Mans. One of our most popular track mods here at RaceDepartment is the amazing Circuit 24H Lemans 2017 which offers AC fans the chance to race Circuit de la Sarthe in four configurations. Kunos offers several hybrid LMP1 cars and the eternal crowd favourite that is the Porsche 911 RSR, but modding is where Assetto Corsa shines. There are too many to list, but a quick search for your favourite endurance racing car past or present will likely yield a mod that can be added to your install. Assetto Corsa is also the most likely candidate to receive an endurance Hypercar in the near future.

Gran Turismo Sport

For those with a Playstation 4 or 5 console, GT Sport is still going strong, and offers players the chance to race Le Mans. The car classes are different than real world, but there are several cars on offer in the title that competed at Le Mans in recent years. This is the most cost-effective way to enjoy racing Le Mans at home, since GT Sport is currently sold through the Playstation Store for $20 and can run on a last gen console.



Let us know in the comments below if you enjoy racing Le Mans at home, and whether you plan to tune in to watch the real-world endurance race.