Trying to beat Formula 1 driver Esteban Ocon in his Alpine single-seater? This is the challenge that a journalist from L’argus has accepted to take up. The race took place on a “simple” video game, but the challenge remained daunting. We let you discover the result in text and video.
“Your mission, if you accept it: confront Esteban Ocon. » Even though the text message from my deputy editor, Géraldine, didn’t self-destruct within five seconds, it made me hesitate a little. Facing winner of the Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix in 2021, difficult to imagine that a simple journalist could have the slightest chance of winning. But when the challenge has to take place in a video game and you assiduously practice “simracing”, the virtual equivalent of motorsport, you can dream of accomplishing the impossible. Especially after having triumphed over Mathieu Sentis, the fastest man in the editorial staff behind the wheel, in similar conditions during the 2020 Christmas holidays. So I decided to accept the challenges, taking care to inform me more about what awaited me.
A complicated fight ahead
Three little tricks to give it all
Do you think I’m “making excuses”? You are not necessarily wrong! As the time to step into the ring approaches, or rather into the very beautiful Trak Racer cockpit, I am not far off. Especially since the race, organized at the eSpot space, a video game temple recently opened near the Louvre museum, takes place in front of the public and is broadcast live on the Twitch streaming platform, two new things for me. However, the stress doesn’t have much time to set in. After a little “check” with Esteban, I find myself thrown into the arena, without the slightest warm-up lap beforehand! The red lights go out… and here I am already left behind by the Alpine driver, before going too wide in the first corner.
The dreaded scenario is coming true. Although I have the same Simucube 2 Pro steering wheel at home, it seems unrecognizable here because of a force feedback set too lightly for my taste and a greater steering angle, which requires larger arm movements. The imposed piloting view is also far from my favorite. Yes, again and again excuses! I still try to increase the pace, and my opponent is kind enough to wait for me a little, going so far as to let me pass. But nothing helps, I will not be able to resist his pressure for long. Nor to approach the 1’33”944 that I had painfully managed to do at home by dint of training… A time which would not have been enough anyway against Esteban’s 1’31”324, without ever giving the feeling of forcing.
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An accessible Formula 1 driver
Inevitably, I come away a little frustrated with my lackluster performance. However, I absolutely do not regret having accepted this impossible mission. In the world of “simracing”, rare are those who can claim to have faced an active Formula 1 driver, especially in the same room. As a bonus, my few exchanges with Esteban Ocon after our duel made him appear much more accessible to me than I imagined.
“” I never play that game, I just trained once for the Monaco E-Prix “In particular, told me my opponent of the day. “
A confession that only confirms to me even more the gulf that separates us. His preference goes rather to Gran Turismo, of which he is the ambassador of the seventh episode, released this Friday, March 4. A title that should unfortunately never join my toy library, for lack of owning a Playstation console. But he also revealed to me that he sometimes drives one of my favorite PC simulations, Rfactor 2. So maybe we will have the opportunity to compete again under slightly more favorable conditions. for me… even if I don’t guarantee that the result will be completely reversed!
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