When I started to deal with the SIM race, I had no idea how deep the rabbit hole would go. It started innocent enough: a curiosity for virtual races, a growing appreciation for the emerging world of eSports and – like many of them who read this – the temptation to build my own Sim -. The Fanatec equipment quickly entered the picture, and soon I found myself fully in this digital motorsport universe. But to really understand what makes this world tick – and how it connects with BMW M Motorsport – I decided to do something else. I grabbed a bag, took the new BMW M5 (G90) and directed my nose on the Austrian Alps.
This was not an ordinary road trip. BMW M Motorsport had invited a selected group of world-famous SIM racing drivers and special guests to a three-day boat camp in the mountains of Ebbs, Austria. The goal? To prepare yourself physically, mentally and emotionally for the upcoming eSports World Cup in 2025 in Riad. In addition, it was a way to pull yourself from screens, to combine nature and with each other-and to bring the real team spirit into the digital paddock.
The journey to separate
The trip started in Munich, of course. I received the keys to a brand new G90 BMW M5-Einem in frozen deep gray disguised hybrid hybrid hybrid hybrids, perfect for carving through alpine passes. The journey was a soul-die-up warm-up that climbed towards the Tyrolian border, faded on the screens and feels different. Once in Ebbs, the digital world stopped. From there, everything went on foot: a one-hour hike to the mountains led us to our headquarters-berg’k’k’Hhof Kaisertal-a remote alpine lodge and our basis for the next three days.
It didn’t take long for things to be serious. After the group had settled in, the group was greeted with a keynote via mental strength, followed by mobility and stretching sessions to prepare for the upcoming adventure. The news was clear: this would not be wellness retreat. It would challenge you – and make you better for it.
Teamwork at 1,600 meters
The following day started with a 6-kilometer hike to the Ritzau Alm, but that was just the start. Waiting for us was the Ridge Naunspitze – a jagged climb that reached 1,600 meters. Climbing equipment was distributed. Security instructions were given. And then the real work started. For most of us, including the professional drivers, this was unknown terrain – physically and mentally. But that was the point. Something clicked over the course of the climb. The drivers help each other to assess routes, to offer a hand or just encouraging words. They were no longer competitors. They were teammates.
The climb was led by Jürgen Eberhart, a team manager and mountain expert by Winward Racing, together with Matthias Hauneholder, a professional Austrian freeskier and extreme sports filmmaker. And although I have experienced some interesting experiences in my life, including a North Pole trip, this was really one of the most demanding challenges I have ever been with. However, the summit was unforgettable. Planting a BMW M -Motorsport flag at the peak felt symbolically -for the sport, for the team and maybe for this whole new journey on which I was on.
Protection building and Sim legends
But the mountain was not the only test. Later on this day, the group hiked back to take part in a Shelter-Building workshop deep in the forest-a further lesson in trust, teamwork and improvisation. Despite the aching legs and the tired heads, the team spirit was present and the collaborations began to form. It was also the perfect backdrop to connect with the drivers, many of which are among the best SIM racing drivers in the world. This year BMW supports three outstanding teams in the R1 SIM racing series:
- Team Redline, owned by Max Verstappen, who won the 2024 R1 team championship with consistency, pace and sheer dominance.
- BS+competition, the creative, creative eSport arm based in Munich, known for its innovative spirit and close connections to BMW Motorsport. The team also drives in the Enascar Iracing series.
- Mouz, one of the best -known eSports brands in Germany, now brings fresh dynamics to the R1 network.
And while BMW does not set up a factory team at the ESPORTS World Championship, their support from activations shows how this boot camp in the scene.
From Brazil to Bavaria
One of the most fascinating aspects of the week was to learn how these drivers came here. Every story was different, but just as convincing. In fact, during the Covid era, many of these SIM professionals routinely exceed Formula -1 drivers in virtual races.
Max Benecke from Team Mouz started SIM Racing in 2015 and was the first to spoil 11,000 for Iracing. He dreamed of DTM once, but now channeled his talent in eSports – and BMW recognizes his skills. He even works with the BMW engineering team to test simulators and give a setup feedback.
Ferris Stanley, now with BS+, came from modest beginnings in Indonesia. With a Logitech wheel and dreams that are larger than his equipment, he climbed to the top level of Sim Racing and possibly landed a place in the team in Munich.
Caique Oliveira, another BS+ driver from Brazil, has no efforts for real races. For him, eSports is the goal, not the springboard. And according to its ability and discipline, this goal looks bright.
Then there is Moritz Löhner, who started Sim Racing by seven. His SIM career led to real drives in the DTM Trophy and LMP3. From Spa-Francorchamps podium to recently returned to Sim Racing with Mouz, Lunger proves that the Gran Turismo film is no coincidence. He hopes that he can continue in the virtual and the real world.
Look ahead: From the Alps to the Riad
While my trip with the group ended after a few days – to cover the 24 hours from Le Mans – the teams just started. The ESPORTS World Championship 2025 in Riad will be the greatest event of this kind. From July 7th to August 24th it works:
- 2,000 elite players
- 200 clubs
- Over 100 countries
- 25 tournaments in 24 games
- An astonishing price pool of 70 million US dollars
Automobile -Sport -like racing is the focus of this growth, and the R1 series races with the BMW M4 GT3 on legendary tracks such as the Nürburgring and Daytona. The overall pricing pool for the SIM racing part alone? 500,000 US dollars.
According to Timo Bruckner from BMW M Motorsport, the brand sees this space as an extension of the real race. “We would like to support the teams that drive in our cars and offer them some of the BMW Motorsport expertise,” he said. “It is a bridge between Sim Racing and motorsport – and maybe one day one of these drivers will drive in the real world for BMW.”
What I learned in the Alps is that Sim Racing is no longer limited to the screen. It is a global, physical, emotional and deeply connected experience. This meets engineering digital, where talent corresponds to persistence and blurred the boundaries between real and virtual motorsport.
For BMW, it is not only a brand exercise, but also a way to share your motorsport specialist knowledge. And for me it was a humiliating, inspiring and occasionally exhausting look into a world that I just start to understand.
