UK-based sim racer James Baldwin has joined the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Workforce as the latest member of its simulator driver programme.
The FIA Motorsport Video games champion will help the System One staff by driving its state-of-the-art simulator to supply suggestions to engineers engaged on the staff’s real-world automobile.
Introduced on February 4th, James Baldwin joins Mercedes’ in depth roster of simulator drivers, who drive digital iterations of the staff’s automobile on tracks that characteristic on this yr’s F1 World Championship.
Simulator drivers spend time aiding engineers with the setup of the actual automobile by in depth pre-event preparation. Because of this, the staff is ready to set up a baseline setup for its real-world drivers to make use of throughout follow classes.
Mercedes isn’t the primary F1 staff to utilise the providers {of professional} sim racing drivers for its simulator programmes. In 2022, former winner of the World’s Quickest Gamer competitors, Rudy van Buren, turned a simulator check and growth driver for Oracle Crimson Bull Racing.
The 2026 season is shaping as much as be a busy one for Baldwin, who continues to compete in high-profile sim racing tournaments. In January, he signed with Workforce Redline, changing into the fifth British sim racer to hitch the organisation’s energetic roster.
Sim Racing and Motorsport
Sim racing stays one of many few esports disciplines that permits skilled and aspiring gamers to develop expertise that instantly switch over to its real-world equal, due to its accessibilty.
With Mercedes utilising sim racing to recruit drivers for its personal simulator programme, will probably be fascinating to see if different F1 groups determine to observe go well with.
