McLaren eSports Competition Winner Lands Coveted F1 Simulator Job

Back in May, the McLaren Formula 1 teamlaunched a competition for gamers, dubbed the 'World's Fastest Gamer.' The winner will have the chance to become a simulator driver for the prominent F1 team. With the conclusion of the competition last November 21, McLaren now has its winner and new simulator driver.

Rudy Van Buren, a 25-year old sales manager from the Netherlands, beat over 30,000 contestants to become the winner of the first World's Fastest Gamer eSports tournament. In the contest’s final round, Van Buren defeated fellow Dutchman Freek Schothorst, a 20-year-old science, business and innovation student at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. You can check out Van Buren's win over Schothorst below.

With the win, Van Buren becomes one of the F1 team's official simulator drivers for the 2018 season.

A promising go-karter

Van Buren was once a promising junior go-karter. He began racing go-karts at age eight, going on to win the Dutch Karting Championship in 2003. His racing aspirations ended when support money ran out and he was forced to quit at the age of 16. He sees the win as a second chance at a career in motorsports.

Van Buren has this to say about the win:

"Every boy that starts karting dreams about F1, and at a certain point that dream just vanishes. Now by winning World's Fastest Gamer, I can relive that dream. This has been the most incredible experience and words can't describe how I feel right now. To think that I came to the McLaren Technology Center for the very first time last week but am leaving here today as McLaren's newest employee is mind blowing. I can't thank everyone enough for giving me this amazing opportunity; just being here, meeting the team and competing with some amazing people has been an unforgettable experience. It really has been the toughest job interview I've ever faced, but with such an incredible reward at the end of it. Now I can't wait to get started!"

McLaren's stake in virtual racing

The McLaren Formula 1 team, which counts racing legends like Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost as its drivers, sought to tap talented virtual racers to help them develop their real-world car. The competition was done in collaboration with Darren Cox, a key figure in GT Academy competitions and the virtual racing landscape in general.

"Rudy is a worthy winner and his story of being lost to racing, then rediscovering his passion though gaming and having his talent recognized by an F1 team is almost a fairytale," said Cox.

McLaren, whose three-year partnership with engine supplier Honda fell through recently, see the huge potential of virtual racing as a commercial growth area.

"With more than 10 million people viewing the competition, we've demonstrated the real value of eSports within F1," said Ben Payne, McLaren's new eSports director.