In Formula 1 Esports, the competition is fierce, so balancing the time required to practice to compete at the very top, alongside real-life commitments, is a huge challenge.

I spoke to Simon Perigny, a rising star in the league racing scene who has his sights firmly set on challenging the best in the F1 Esports world, about the difficulties he faces in dedicating the necessary time to everything currently on his shoulders:

You are 15 years old and showing such incredible talent, do you feel under pressure to perform with the likes of Jarno Opmeer, Shanaka Clay, and Bari Boroumand?

Yes of course, When you are this young and already competing with these big names in F1 Esports, I can feel under pressure during these races but you need to take in mind that it’s somebody normal so that you can perform at 100% with no pressure on yourself!

Is it difficult to balance practising for races, school work, social and family life?

Yes it’s very complicated for me, between school, practicing and then karting. When I get back from school I don’t really get enough time to practice and when I come back from karting weekends too, also because of that I miss races in some leagues.

But at least I have the chance that my family is supporting me into my dream of being an F1 Esports world champion.

This year I will take part in the French championship if I qualify for the French cup, along with the NSK (Nationale Series du Karting) championship which people from all over Europe come to do it.

My goodness, that’s so much pressure for young shoulders to have to deal with. You are part of Race Clutch, so does that add more pressure on you to perform well?

Not really, this team is like a family and everyone in there are just great people! It even feels better to be part of it, since I know that these guys are supporting me

And finally, how does your karting experience help you in your virtual racing and visa versa?

thanks to karting, I manage more easily my stress during races, and thanks to virtual racing it keeps me driving when I’m not in real life so that I always have a wheel in my hands!

This young Frenchman has a bright future ahead in racing, whether virtual or real and we at GTR24H wish him luck in his future endeavours.

Image © Simon Perigny