An opportunity to drive on track is not to be missed. Be it in a Formula 3000, a 488 GTB, an Audi TT or a Rotax Kart. While some find the track a brilliant way to hone their speeding skills without attracting a fine, there seems to be a dependable way to train for the tracks itself, in a comfortable environment. It’s called a simulator.
Recently we were shooting a story at Yas Marina about premium karting on the F1 circuit, and my teammate for the day was Vinay, a young enthusiast who was on his first outing in a very long time. When I watched him take to the track and come ashore without spinning out or toppling even once, I was curious. It turned out that he had spent several tens of hours at gaming consoles, playing at global circuits. Now, this should make most above average teenage gamers at home on the track. But the game isn’t really child’s play when Sébastien Buemi, 2016 Formula E champion is hoisting himself into its driving pit.
So, in the latest episode of CNN’s Supercharged, host Nicki Shields walks into the headquarters of Formula E racing team e.dams Renault in Le Mans where Buemi and his simulator demonstrate why the ‘heads-up training’ works. He spends an incredible two full days in the machine without wheels at the start of a race week.
Watch the episode on CNN Supercharged
So how accurate is the simulator and how helpful is it at the race?
“We try to always get it as close as possible to the race week just to make sure we have everything in our mind… We tried to have a scanned circuit. What I mean with ‘scan’ is to have the exact bumps that you will find on the real track.”
The simulator saves time on track
“The energy management is very important in Formula E and if you can prepare it well and put the car on the real track on a Saturday morning, and not lose time on trying to adjust your energy, it’s just a massive gain of time at the end of the day.”
Next, Buemi tells Nicki how much of impact does the training have on the race results: “In general, once I’ve done it in the simulator, If I do something similar on the racetrack, it’s fine. So, it’s a big gain of time and energy. I know what to expect, I don’t have to discover everything within a few minutes. It’s a bit difficult to say whether it makes you win the race or not, but it’s definitely a good tool.”
These should be inspiring words for gamers, who wish to turn racers at some point. We might have known it all along, but hearing it from a world champion in the future of racing, is simply electrifying! Watch it on CNN Supercharged.
