March 28, 2024

Baguio’s racing phenom, Iñigo Anton, is the lone Filipino to join the prestigious 2021 Le Mans virtual racing series after he was picked by former Formula 1 driver, Alex Yoong, to join Axle Motorsports.

The virtual Le Mans series is the world’s premiere endurance esports championship and has a prize pool of $250,000. 

After a successful stint and finishing third overall in Season 6 of the E-Racing Grand Prix series, Anton proved to be one of the best sim racers in the Asia Pacific region.

Anton, together with his teammates from Axle Motorsports, will compete against top international sim racers and elite auto racing competitors such as Red Bull Racing, Porsche Motorsport, BMW Sim Racing, Ferrari E sports team, and Williams E sports. 

“I am so honored and excited to be part of Axle Motorsports and be given the opportunity to compete with the world’s best sim racers and real world racers such as former Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button, former F1 drivers Bruno Senna and Stoffel Vandoorne, Indy car 2021 championship leader Alex Palou and many more racing greats. It’s really a dream come true for me,” Anton said. 

The first four races in the Le Mans virtual series will be held online between September and December, with the 24 hours of Le Mans virtual taking place as the climax to the premier endurance esports championship.

The finale will be a live, televised event within the 2022 Autosport International motorsport show in Birmingham, United Kingdom on Jan. 15 to 16.

Anton has been working daily with Axle Sports race engineer, Lip Tan Han, to get up to speed and prepare for three to six hour-stint of driving in all weather conditions. 

The first round of the series was last Sept. 26 at Imola, Emilia-Romagna, Italy where Anton drove a Porsche GT3 RSR alongside Alister Yoong, Nabil Azlan, and Mikko Nassi in the GTE class for the endurance race. 

“Following the real 24 hours of Le Mans in August 2021, we are delighted to now launch the Le Mans virtual series which will include as its highlight the 24 hours of Le Mans virtual. The link between real-life motorsport and esports is now an essential element for our manufacturers and teams, and we all look forward to an excellent season of esports competition,” said Automobile Club de l’Ouest ACO President Pierre Fillon. 

Some of the world’s best-known and most renowned marques giving their full backing to the Le Mans virtual series are Thrustmaster, Rolex, Goodyear, Total Energies, Lego Technic, and Algorand. – Harley F. Palangchao