How are your nerves? Simple question, really. But perhaps it's an odd question when you consider that we are, in fact, “virtual” drivers. Why do any of us need nerves? Just hit the play pedal, turn the play wheel, and drive the play car around the play track. Simple. No nerves required. Right?
Well consider these videos...
Watch about 30 seconds of this video to get the gist.
That's racing. Fast, exciting, thrilling. But do you really need nerves to do this type when it's done in a simulation? Maybe, maybe not.
Now try exhibit B.
Now that, my friends, takes nerve. Pure, unadulterated nerve. To perform with that type of reflex and reaction takes skill, and to do it lap after lap without fail requires immense focus. This is the world of Formula 1 racing. And whether you do this in actuality or virtually, you'll need plenty of nerves to be any good.
Today we at RaceDepartment got in touch with one of the community's more prominent virtual F1 racers in Reik Major, champion of Formula Pro European Series season 5, to find out just how he does it.
RaceDepartment: Hello Reik. First question, how did you get into sim-racing?
Reik: It all began with the first computer my brother Nico (Major) bought in the early 90’s. The legendary Commodore 64. I think I was 11 or so and the first ever racing game we played was Test Drive with its charming 8 bit optic. That was already fascinating and this fascination in driving a virtual car increased with the fast development from simple racing games to complex racing sims.
I started online racing with GTR 2 and got addicted to it, because fighting against human intelligence can’t be recreated by the best AI ever. But I soon learned that it’s not easy finding people on public servers, who have the same skills and are willing, or able, to fight like gentlemen. So Nico got me to sign up at RD when I started with Race 07. And that’s where we are today.
RadeDepartment: What draws you to driving Formula 1 cars?
Reik: If you go through the list of titles I've played, you’ll see that most of them are Formula 1 related. Well, it’s a fact that most of the first racing games were about Formula 1 cars, but of course Formula 1 always was the most impressive motorsport for me, especially in the beginning. The high speed and the high tech make it so fascinating.
RaceDepartment: What does this championship title mean to you?
Reik: This is a tough question. Of course it feels very satisfying to be very good at what you do. And if your skills are good enough to win you awards - in my case the championship title - it’s even more satisfying. But it’s not much more than a very good looking statistic after the season, which is over now.
What I care about more is having as much good fighting on track as possible. Due to some different reasons I didn’t have much of it this season, but I’m sure that many drivers can’t wait to give me a good challenge in the next season.
RaceDepartment: You left Formula Pro World Series due to the series moving to rFactor. Now that you've won FPES, can we expect a return from you to FPWS?
Reik: I didn’t only leave because of FPWS moving to rFactor, I also went to the FPES because of the better race time. During the FPWS season I recognized that Saturday evening racing often created conflict with my personal life.
In the FPES I found the perfect league for me. Top drivers, all of them very friendly, and the best racing time for me with a mod that I absolutely love. What else can I ask for?
RaceDepartment: Do you enjoy driving other sim-cars besides Formula 1?
Reik: Of course I do! I sometimes meet with Nico and two friends on public servers to have fun with the WTCC’s. I also like the GTPro’s and many other well done mods. Finally the fun develops with a good challenge. And I also had many good challenges with the Mini when I met other quick drivers on a server. So it’s not all about the speed of the cars. I can tell you if I had more time for racing, I’d sign up for many other interesting series.
RaceDepartment: Where did you learn how to be such a fast driver?
Reik: It’s all a culmination of learning over the years. But there was one more very important factor: the never ending challenge with Nico! As long as we lived together at home, we tried every game together. And before multiplayer racing became a standard, we had countless hot lapping challenges. Everyone wanted to be the fastest, but there could be only one. So it was Nico who pushed me to be the driver I am today.
RaceDepartment: What would say was your biggest obstacle to overcome in winning FPES?
Reik: Mercifully, there weren't many obstacles to overcome. The season started great with a victory at Spa. As a result I felt a bit more relaxed, which helped me to win the second and third round. So at that point in the season, I already had a comfortable gap, which made things easier. Even with two second places finishes in Round 5 and 6, the gap increased. I can’t say how things would have developed if the season didn’t start that perfect.
The only obstacle I really had to overcome was holding up the concentration lap after lap, corner by corner. Nearly every corner can be a killer with those beasts.
RaceDepartment: You won 6 out of the 9 total rounds in the championship. A highly impressive performance. What allowed you to be so consistent in a ruthlessly unforgiving car?
Reik: Ha, ha my girlfriend allowed me! Our desk is located in the living room and she was always sitting next to me, watching TV like a frozen statue, so she wouldn’t disturb me with some hectic movement or making noise. And this calmed me down.
The other important thing is the long experience with this car. I truly can “feel” the car and judge its behavior very well. My setups aren’t the best, especially when it comes to long stints stability. But because of many hot laps prior to an event, I know every tricky place on each track. So a race for me feels more like doing hot lap after hot lap with a car, which switches behavior from very good to worse. But it’s a nice challenge to handle a car with worn tires as smooth as possible while still being quick.
RaceDeprtment: FSR has recently became a prominent series here at RaceDepartment. Do you have any plans at trying your hand at it?
Reik: Considering what a great challenge it is, I would say yes. But then there are other factors that hinder me from doing so. The extreme level of professionalism would mean the biggest challenge for me. Problem is, I’d never have enough time for testing and preparing to be at the level needed for it. And this is goes against my golden rule of commitment, which is to never sign up if you don’t have a realistic chance to put in enough prep time and if you aren’t able to participate in nearly every event.
The last and most important thing is the great community I found here in the FPES! I don’t think that the drivers and teams of FSR share their setups, which means it doesn't come down, completely, to the driver skills. I like the friendly communication at FPES, besides a very serious racing atmosphere!
Thanks all drivers who made this season such a good one and special thanks to Nicolai Nicholsen, who organized all this stuff!
And RaceDepartment would like to thank Reik Major for taking the time to sit down with us and answer our questions. I big thanks also goes out to the people who run and participate in the Presto GP leagues.
If you are interested in Formula 1 racing on GTR Evolution or rFactor, don't forget to head over to the Formula Pro leagues at the link below and join in on the fun. The new seasons are just around the corner. Who knows, that corner may just turn out to be eau rouge... yikes.
http://www.racedepartment.com/formula-pro-series/
