The “Race to Singapore” Asia-Pacific champion will progress to the McLaren Shadow Project Grand Finals
in the UK in December 2019.
19 September 2019 – Josh Purwien from Australia drove to victory in the McLaren Shadow Project and Singapore Tourism Board “Race to Singapore” live virtual racing event, hosted at the MARQUEE Singapore, Marina Bay Sands in front of a crowd of Asia Pacific’s most avid gamers.
The event saw the region’s eight fastest gamers battle it out on the F1® 2019 official game, following weeks of fierce online competition. Josh Purwien will now take one of the coveted slots at the McLaren Shadow Project Grand Finals, which takes place in the McLaren Technology Centre in the United Kingdom in December.
Held as part of the Grand Prix Singapore Season (GPSS) line-up in the lead up to this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, racegoers and local fans watched competitors take to a virtual Marina Bay Street Circuit, the very track on which Formula 1 racers will compete from tomorrow.
Seven aspiring e-sports racers from Singapore aged 10 to 14 also pit their skills against McLaren Racing driver Lando Norris in a show tournament.
Norris commented, “I’m really excited to be in Singapore for the first time. I have been working hard to prepare for this weekend’s race and it’s great to get in a bit of practice on a virtual Singapore Street Circuit racing against these talented gamers. Congratulations to Josh, I look forward to seeing him again at the McLaren Shadow Project grand finals in December.”
Leeston Bryant, Senior e-sports Manager at McLaren added: “McLaren Shadow Project aims to be the most open and diverse racing e-sports tournament on the planet, so we’re delighted to have crowned the winner of the first Asia Pacific Qualifier series in partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board.
“We’ve been blown away by the talent coming from Southeast Asia, which is poised to have the fastest growing e-sports audience globally. We look forward to welcoming our finalist to the McLaren Technology Centre in December, when they will experience our elite driver training programme and drive a McLaren 570S on track at Dunsfold.”
Ms Jean Ng, Executive Director, Sports, Singapore Tourism Board went on to say: “The “Race to Singapore” adds a unique e-sports dimension to the Grand Prix Season in Singapore, and broadens the appeal of the Singapore race to visitors, local gaming enthusiasts, and motorsports fans. We are encouraged to see a good mix of local and regional visitors attending the virtual race, and aim to add more such compelling e-sports and gaming content to our vibrant events calendar, so as to attract younger, millennial visitors year-round.”
The ultimate winner of the McLaren Shadow Project Season 2 Final will receive:
a seat on the McLaren Shadow e-sports team
access to the McLaren elite driver development programme including bespoke simulator access
a custom sim-racing set up installed in their home with help from McLaren Shadow Project partners, Logitech G and Alienware.
To keep up to date with the latest McLaren Shadow Project competition news, including qualifier details, please follow the McLaren Shadow Project YouTube series, or go to www.mclaren.com for more details.
- End -
About McLaren Shadow Project
McLaren Shadow Project, which attracted more than half a million competitors in 2018, is McLaren’s search for the brightest and best racing talent in e-sports. From early July, the 2019 e-sports racing competition will be open to gamers around the world who will be able to enter qualifiers via mobile, PC, and console on the respective titles - Real Racing 3, rfactor 2 and Forza Motorsport 7 – as well as via multiple rounds of the Logitech G Challenge. Finalists will be invited to the McLaren Technology Centre in early December for the grand finals. As well as game play, finalists will be put through their paces in a programme that Shadows McLaren’s real world: testing by the Human Performance division of McLaren Applied Technologies and driving a real-world track in a McLaren Automotive supercar. The McLaren Shadow Project Champion will win once in a lifetime experiences and prizes including a seat on the McLaren Shadow e-sports team and access to the McLaren DNA driver development programme. For more information please visit: McLaren Shadow Project season 2.
About the Singapore Tourism Board
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is the lead development agency for tourism, one of Singapore’s key economic sectors. Together with industry partners and the community, we shape a dynamic Singapore tourism landscape. We bring the Passion Made Possible brand to life by differentiating Singapore as a vibrant destination that inspires people to share and deepen their passions.
More: www.stb.gov.sg or www.visitsingapore.com