Whether you need speed in real life or the virtual world, Abu Dhabi Motorsport Management can set you up for an experience of a lifetime. Partnering with Veloce Esports, the all-new YAS HEAT Esports team was launched. The objective behind the new team is to inspire and develop the next generation of virtual racing superstars while competing with the best at global Esport series in Gran Turismo, Forza and Assetto Corsa. YAS HEAT Esports has been launched with a team with 4 talented sim-racers - Jaroslav Honzik, Simone Fedele, Andrea Capoccia, Eamon Murphy, and is introducing an open trials initiative for the top racing talent.

The project looks to identify local sim-racing talent, with regional trials taking place across three stages in the next 12 months.

The team
Beginning with an application process, candidates can navigate via multiple-discipline sim-racing assessments, media, and aptitude tests along with participation in challenges alongside members of the team’s pro driver squad.
There will also be a panel with the YAS HEAT team management, ambassadors, and pro drivers to select the final five applicants who will form the official development academy. For the established team, they will first appear in the inaugural season of the V10 R-League, which is a part of the Global Racing Series. The team will be competing against the powerhouses of motorsport like Ford (Fordzilla), BWT Racing Point Esports Team, Williams Esports and JAESA TEAM SUZUKI.

The vision
The YAS HEAT Esports team is the beginning of a multiyear programme and commitment towards developing a globally successful virtual racing ecosystem for Abu Dhabi.
The principal of Yas Heat, Saif Al-Noaimi expressed his self-excitement about the team competing in the first season in the Global Racing Series, the V10 R-league, Forza and Gran Turismo competition. The launch of the Open Trials will help find the best racing talent in the UAE and the region. Yas Heat and Veloce will be working together to develop the next generation of virtual racing champions to perform at the highest level.

The co-founder and chief strategy officer of Veloce Esports, Jack Clarke also expressed his excitement for the development and drafting of talent from the region. With quite a potent connection to fast cars and racing, there’s potential for a lot of success from the team’s Open Trials process for driving talent and professional Esports prospects.

The competition begins
After the launch, Top Esports Racing Teams began battling it out in Round One of the new competition. The newly-formed YAS HEAT began challenging world-class teams in the opening round of the inaugural competition. September saw YAS HEAT enjoying a solid start to the inaugural V10 R-League, which is the new sim racing competition created via a collaboration between Gfinity and Abu Dhabi Motorsports Management (ADMM). Fans in the region will now see the action unfold via Starz Play Arabia.

8 teams took part in the first round with four separate matches that included three race challenges. Professional racers were behind the wheel of an exclusively designed V10 car and were tasked with navigating the world-renowned Monza track in the leading sim racing game Assetto Corsa.

YAS HEAT in action
YAS HEAT began the competition well and sat in mid-table, following their encounter with JAESA Team Suzuki. The UAE-based team will be aiming to maintain momentum in the second round, where drivers will be taking on the iconic Brands Hatch.
Williams Esports and Porsche24 Redline dominated the first round of action. Both won all three of their race challenges versus BWT Racing Point Esports and BMW Motorsport Sim Racing Team respectively.

Looking forward to Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2020
The focus of YAS HEAT and YAS HEAT open trials is to shine the spotlight on Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE as a respected, credible and ever-growing destination of esports.
On the motorsport racing front, the World-class motorsport action will return to the UAE when Yas Marina Circuit hosts the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2020 on December 13. The event will be bringing the curtain down on the 2020 season.
The event will be the 12th instalment and will take place without spectators because of the continued global situation with Covid-19. The event will potentially have plenty at stake, for both the drivers and constructor standings. Yas Island will be altered into an ‘F1 biosphere’ to create one of the largest ‘safe zones’ in the region. It will be having access restricted to essential F1 staff, teams, and drivers. There will be significant stakeholder collaboration and planning across UAE government entities, in alignment with F1 management. Precautionary health measures planned during the F1 weekend on Yas Island will prioritize the wellbeing of the F1 community. The steps will also aim to maintain the competitive integrity of the races planned. Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas expected to take part in the thrilling event.

For more info visit: https://www.yasmarinacircuit.com/en/yas-heat