Would You Rather...

[Ole Marius Myrvold]

I voted esport. Just because I have to base this on where I live. A national championship here is 4-6 weekends in a year and two races each weekend. So that is 8-10 races for 15-20 min. While that would be really fun. It would just be that year, and that's it.

One year as a paid esport-driver for a top team, could at least potentially be something to build on for the future as well.

 

[StoneColdSpider]

I am too old, too fat and have a bad back so starting a real life racing career is not a thing i could do now.......
so i picked Esports....... and hey..... at least i would get paid......

 

[Peter Kerényi]

Serious question here - how many of you in the "real life - it's a no-brainer" camp have ever actually been on track? Have you experienced a hot cockpit with an engine constantly vibrating your guts? Have you experienced the lurching in your stomach as the car accelerates, decelerates, and turns?

Before I got on track with someone I thought, "Oh, this is going to be awesome!" By the time it was over, I was ready to be stationary for a while. Now I also realize that motion-sickness is very different when you are in control of the vehicle, but it was still a real thing for me.

On the other hand, karting doesn't bother me at all and I thoroughly enjoy it. But that is also relatively low-risk in terms of cost or personal injury. I also enjoy driving my Miata on mountain roads when I have the chance. So maybe it was just not being the driver.

But either way, there is a lot more risk on track. I'd be worried about damaging someone else's car or my own. And I'd be worried about hurting myself and others. I really don't understand how someone can have a massive shunt and then approach the same corner with just as much aggressiveness. But perhaps this is just further proof that I am not cut out for this IRL.

I was, for one lap, I (and my dad) got a present - a lap in an old Miata converted into a race car (it's a national series here). The track was flooded after heavy rain got lighter and the car had semi-slicks! I still don't understand how they let anybody with any experience go out on track alone in those conditions with that car, but I guess if you sign the papers, it doesn't matter. Anyways, it was a great experience, the noise, the vibrations, the smell, even with such an entry car and not pushing obviously, my first time in a RWD car, first time I felt that the back of the car got lively during acceleration and I had to do a bit of countersteer, I had such a grin on my face at the end of the lap. Simracing is cool and everything, but I would take a paid national series with "crap" cars anytime. That one lap was such a good, memorable experience, I cannot imagine how cool it would be to be on track... for longer, and racing.

 

[mantasisg]

No brainer - RL is RL. Even if the simulation would get to be super true, super honest and super high quality. I'd still rather race some Miata or some old BMW spec cars in two three tracks, for example just around Baltic states.

However, there would be pros for racing in eSports instead of RL:

1. Comfort - no need to leave home sweet safe home. But it is also a con for obvious reasons.
2. Pure racing without any logistic worries, accomodation problems.
3. No need for crew, but it also means you are mostly lonely.
4. No damage expenses, no risk for health (no injuries or fatalities due accidents).
5. Theoretical posibility to race anything anywhere including time dimension. Although we all know that e-sports is just an advertisment tool for existing RL racing, so this point is practically obsolete. It would be brilliant if simracing e-sports could stand by itself.
6. Possibility to have perfect weather, or weather on demand. Possibility to have summer all the time, in other words - racing season all the time.
7. Posibility for everyone to race absolutely identical cars. Although IMO this point gets perverted with introduction of fixed setups, which eliminates reward of having mechanical knowledge.
8. Possibility to review racing replays from all imaginable view points and angles.
9. Relatability. Because everyone is few hundred euros away from racing same stuff: basic controller + software + content.
10. Simracing esports is trully electric, that means supposedly safe for environment.

Few of the biggest e-sports disadvantages comparing to RL:

1. RL is RL, it is just simply real. In simracing realism is not totally stable or guaranteed, not only due to technical and understanding limitations, but also because it gives people posibility to alter the "reality", thus things that are big challenge IRL can easily get tweaked out. Thats especially sensitive if it is some mass market product. Basically simulations can be based on lies intentionally or not.
2. No need to explain that people not getting together IRL in person is simply less social, not having teams and all the preparation stuff that is necessary IRL is also taking away big chunk of the meaning and character building.
3. If simacing e-sports would become a substitute, it would hurt RL racing industry.
4. E-sports can compromise simracing itself by investing itself too much into this industry and forgetting other fun and interesting racing related things that does not do that well for e-sports which is backed by RL modern racing organisations: historic content, less known content, fantasy content, non-racing content (street cars). Furthermore - it absolutely was doing that for the past few years.
5. People may find esports racing a lot less thrilling, lacking character and grid girls. Oh wait... thats just how it is actually IRL now... no issue for esports then.

 

[The-IC]

Of course it does. Perhaps I'm the only one here who really isn't a thrill-seeker IRL.

Nothing wrong with that, everyones different ...for me the main problem with the real stuff (even just basic trackdays) is the time it takes, planning, upkeep, maintenance costs etc. ...when something stops working, or you get a tyre blister or even a session being red flagged because someone else has flopped into the gravel and needs to be pulled out, its certainly a lot more aggravating, hah

 

[Jason Chamberlain]

No brainer - RL is RL. Even if the simulation would get to be super true, super honest and super high quality. I'd still rather race some Miata or some old BMW spec cars in two three tracks, for example just around Baltic states.

However, there would be pros for racing in eSports instead of RL:

1. Comfort - no need to leave home sweet safe home. But it is also a con for obvious reasons.
2. Pure racing without any logistic worries, accomodation problems.
3. No need for crew, but it also means you are mostly lonely.
4. No damage expenses, no risk for health (no injuries or fatalities due accidents).
5. Theoretical posibility to race anything anywhere including time dimension. Although we all know that e-sports is just an advertisment tool for existing RL racing, so this point is practically obsolete. It would be brilliant if simracing e-sports could stand by itself.
6. Possibility to have perfect weather, or weather on demand. Possibility to have summer all the time, in other words - racing season all the time.
7. Posibility for everyone to race absolutely identical cars. Although IMO this point gets perverted with introduction of fixed setups, which eliminates reward of having mechanical knowledge.
8. Possibility to review racing replays from all imaginable view points and angles.
9. Relatability. Because everyone is few hundred euros away from racing same stuff: basic controller + software + content.
10. Simracing esports is trully electric, that means supposedly safe for environment.

Few of the biggest e-sports disadvantages comparing to RL:

1. RL is RL, it is just simply real. In simracing realism is not totally stable or guaranteed, not only due to technical and understanding limitations, but also because it gives people posibility to alter the "reality", thus things that are big challenge IRL can easily get tweaked out. Thats especially sensitive if it is some mass market product. Basically simulations can be based on lies intentionally or not.
2. No need to explain that people not getting together IRL in person is simply less social, not having teams and all the preparation stuff that is necessary IRL is also taking away big chunk of the meaning and character building.
3. If simacing e-sports would become a substitute, it would hurt RL racing industry.
4. E-sports can compromise simracing itself by investing itself too much into this industry and forgetting other fun and interesting racing related things that does not do that well for e-sports which is backed by RL modern racing organisations: historic content, less known content, fantasy content, non-racing content (street cars). Furthermore - it absolutely was doing that for the past few years.
5. People may find esports racing a lot less thrilling, lacking character and grid girls. Oh wait... thats just how it is actually IRL now... no issue for esports then.

Some great stuff here. Point 5 is really interesting to me. I'm not in favor of multiple drivers dying in F1 each year. However, I also think that the inherent danger is part of what made it thrilling to watch.

I also think that Monaco would be improved by removing the wings and bringing back the hay bale "barriers" by the harbor. I still like having Monaco on the calendar because to me it's synonymous with the F1 brand, but the race would be better without aero and with more danger.

 

[RCHeliguy]

I have no interest in racing a car in real life for any extended period.

I would enjoy a Rally course at a place like DirtFish or maybe some racing instruction just to experience it a bit, but that taste would be enough.

When I was younger I considered becoming a pilot, but realized that would get old. Similarly I would get bored driving as a full time job. I think it is fun to "play" being a racer when I have time and it's fun to play fighter pilot when I have time, but only as a diversion.

 

[DaVeX↯]

Love when RD is planning some kind of prize for upcoming events and trow such pools to see what we would like to win lol

 

[G-Slev]

Personally, I would rather be at the circuit with a load of camera gear taking photos. But there you go...

 

[MetalMania]

There is nothing like the real-life visceral thrill of real cars on a real track. I used to occasionally do kart endurance races and THAT was an adrenaline rush - it can only be more so in real cars.

Having said that - I'm not young and have a lot to lose at this point in my life, so if there's a magical "and don't worry you won't die or be badly injured" clause in that contract, yeah no question count me in for a year of real world racing.

After that, can I also live my other dream and do a tour playing guitar in a rock band?

 

[Jason Mullin]

I’ve been real racing motorcycles for 20 years albeit at the amateur self funded level, and honestly at this point in my life I’m getting tired of it.
The travel, expense, putting on that suit, in and out of tech inspection, what the hell is that guy doing stress all for generally a lap or two of tight racing. The rush is not what it once was as you age and fail to push the machines like you used to.
I choose simulation today, anyone want to buy a few well used Ducatis?

 

[N96HBK]

Just imagine having all costs covered for a whole championship... Although I love simracing, I've always valued real life experience more than anything. I don't mind if it's just a single kart sprint race at a tiny track, because I badly wanted to at least have a local race for so long, but when the opportunity came after months of being tormented, it was taken away from me because of..... 2020.

Life would be so harsh if it even took away my ability to at least imagine these things!!

 

[gianlucaP]

ì

 

[Noctam]

I voted for the IRL racing but it's not just the "real thing" idea, it's also that being paid to do esport sounds like so much time, stress and hassle. I'd racer chill and be an average simracer.

 

[mantasisg]

Some great stuff here. Point 5 is really interesting to me. I'm not in favor of multiple drivers dying in F1 each year. However, I also think that the inherent danger is part of what made it thrilling to watch.

I also think that Monaco would be improved by removing the wings and bringing back the hay bale "barriers" by the harbor. I still like having Monaco on the calendar because to me it's synonymous with the F1 brand, but the race would be better without aero and with more danger.

Thanks.

Safety does make things less thrilling. No need for extreme danger. I believe most people don't wish to see people dying or getting severely injured. But the kind of safety where racing is so sanitized that going off track is nearly meaningless or even beneficial, super slow flow breaking chicanes, cars not suited for overdriving, rain stops racing. On top of that everybody must be super cautious about what they speak in interviews... Reality is just not real by itself at this point.

By the way, aero in Monaco makes perhaps least difference in all of the tracks because slower speeds. But I think it is time to project more concern about high drag of racing cars, which is making them less efficient. High downforce is also next reason to tires why those cars are not suited to overdriving.

Furthermore, high downforce is partially the reason for all sharp chicanes. I understand such chicanes like in very high speed turns, such like the one that took Senna's life. And if aero and tires are in effect these curves are virtually straights for those cars. But chicanes like the ones at Lemans long straight are there more to excuse modern racecars bias to downforce instead for low-drag. Because by introducing these chicanes they effectivelly allowed higher downforce, thus higher cornering speeds. If there were no chicanes cars would run less aggressive aero, would reach more topspeed, but would be slower in turns. Thats assuming they would not allow active aero. This being said, Mulsanne has taken most racers lives but several of the accidents occured before the first chicane is now, or when there were no guardrails, the kink was more dangerous and the hump before braking was higher and also racing grids were more diverse and with a lot more dangerous cars.

 

[stenovitz]

Tried voting just "yes", I can bear with either.
So.....where's my seat?

 

[racetroughtnight]

I don´t even know if i would be allowed to race cus im missing my left hand

But i would def do it and give all my passion for it! No excuses!

 

[sergheo]

In general, virtual races are apparently interesting and much closer to an ordinary amateur fan, .

 

[mantasisg]

I voted for the IRL racing but it's not just the "real thing" idea, it's also that being paid to do esport sounds like so much time, stress and hassle. I'd racer chill and be an average simracer.

Good point. In fact many experienced RL racers has criticized the grinding aspect of simracing. Basically doing several hundred hours of practice before the race is indeed exhausting. And not doing it and then loosing by a bit to those who grinded practicing for weeks is demotivating. It perhaps could be biggest problem of highly competitive simracing. While in reality everyone gets roughly same practice time before RL event in RL racetrack, well... ideally.

 

[Jason Chamberlain]

By the way, aero in Monaco makes perhaps least difference in all of the tracks because slower speeds. But I think it is time to project more concern about high drag of racing cars, which is making them less efficient. High downforce is also next reason to tires why those cars are not suited to overdriving.

Right. Which is why it's one track where they could get away with taking away the aero and just relying on mechanical grip. But as long as you're taking away the aero, may as well make the cars a bit shorter and narrower too so they can get by each other.