Realistic online racing for the masses

A new subscription-based internet racing simulator aimed at motorsport fans as well as professionals has been launched.  The package , which has been developed over the past four years, will allow anyone to take part in internet racing as long as they are armed with a quick enough internet connection, a wheel-and-pedals controller, and the subscription fee.

Spaniard spends time on world’s top driving sim

Fernando Alonso once disdainfully compared Renault’s less-than-high-tech simulator to a “PlayStation”. So we weren’t surprised to hear that the sulky Spaniard booked time on one of the most cutting-edge sims in the world, with a view to learning the new Valencia street circuit.

Nando recently spent a day at Wirth Research, run by former Benetton technical chief Nick Wirth, in Bicester. Wirth can simulate any track in the world, on request, and the company has recently added Valencia and Singapore - new circuits for 2008 - to its F1 repertoire.

A virtual rFactor lap of F1’s latest street circuit

Jenson Button has been using a high-tech simulator in a bid to learn every inch of the new Valencia street circuit. The simulator, located at Honda’s Brackley HQ, has been set up with data from the F3 race held at the track last month - it’s about as close to the real thing as an F1 driver can get.

“With that [the simulator] you’re not getting the complete feelings of the car but you are understanding distances, the braking points. It’s very useful,” Button said.

Watch a virtual Honda lap of Valencia after the jump…

Bobby Kubica shows us how to handle one of F1’s best tracks

What do we love most about this video? The passion in Kubica’s voice, that’s what. The guy must have the most monotone voice in the history of motorsport.

We also loved that he called the circuit a “Mickey Mouse track”. That’s not supposed to be a criticism, although it sure sounds like one.

First look at a lap of venue for night-time GP

Ignore the fact that the guy driving this simulated lap (watch it after the jump) seems to have little concept of the correct racing line to take.

We like the look of the track. It’s fast and wide - like the new Valencia circuit - and should give drivers several oportunities to overtake; we particularly like the final two corners, fast left-handers that will propel the drivers onto the start/finish straight. When the 2009 regulations take effect, we should seem some really exciting racing at these new tracks.

Watch the video below:

A driver’s eye view of Valencia

This virtual lap gives you a good idea of how the brand-new street circuit in Valencia will drive. As you can see, the track itself is a lot wider and faster than Monaco, but still with some very tight corners and intimidatingly close walls - think Monaco crossed with Spa.

Grid Crasher can’t wait for the F1 circus to arrive there for real (race day is Sun 24 August), and see how all of the drivers cope with the challenge. It looks like the type of circuit that will suit aggressive, accurate drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso and Robert Kubica.

Jim fixes it for MotoGP rider to visit F1 team

We told you a few days ago about JT’s day out at Williams F1, when he got to try out the team’s high-tech driving simulator.

Here’s the video of that visit. Don’t say we’re not good to you.