But a fondness for high-speed action doesn’t always make for a feasible lifetime goal. After all, how many local racers have the means to hone their talents?
Almost none – until the arrival of e-sports, that is.
Now, young and aspiring racers can burn rubber and compete for the title of king of the track by racing down virtual circuits, simulated solely on computer screens.
Don’t scoff. The e-sports scene is all too real, with million-dollar companies sponsoring tournaments and racers alike. The prize money? Mouth-watering, to say the least.
Malaysia too is riding the trend thanks to Yoong – the first Malaysian to take to the F1 track, but doing it virtually.
Almost 20 years since his debut as an F1 driver, the 45-year-old is now priming the next generation of local racers.
Yoong has been organising the E1 Championship, a premier simulator racing championship, in Malaysia and the surrounding region.
This year, Season 2 of the championship began on Aug 25 and its participants are racing for a chance to win the prize pool of US$15,000 (RM62,000).
Yoong explained that the E1 Championship is an opportunity for aspiring racers to develop their skills.
“The E1 Championship seeks to find the best teams and drivers from the region. We invite them in and thousands of people get to watch them race,” he told FMT.
According to Yoong, he got into “sim-racing” largely due to the pandemic, which kept everyone cooped up at home.
Describing sim-racing as the future of motorsports, Yoong emphasised that this was because most people lack access to proper racing facilities, largely found in Europe.
“The great thing about sim-racing is you can do everything online,” he said. “What I’m seeing is that our sim-racers are doing better than our real-life racers because they can do so much more.”
Being able to practice on a near-infinite number of virtual race tracks, sim-racers can hone their skills wherever and whenever they want.
“Our sim-racers are not only excelling in the virtual world but also winning races in Europe and around the world. They’re as good as real-life drivers, perhaps even better.”
One might argue that real-life racing requires different skillsets from sim-racing, but Yoong believes otherwise, saying they both require the exact same skills.
Hence, the E1 Championship is a platform that allows racers to compete not only for a substantial cash prize, but also the prestige of being able to outdo more famous drivers.
Yoong believes e-sports has already made its presence felt in Malaysia, saying it has taken over traditional sports in a big way.
“We have so much talent, especially here in Malaysia. These talents generally don’t get a chance to drive real-life race cars,” he said, adding that through sim-racing, these talents stand out more and win sponsorships by car manufacturers as well.
One of these local talents is Naquib Azlan, an ambitious 21-year-old who is living proof that Malaysians can dominate the track.
Besides winning Season 0 of the E1 Championship, he remains highly active in the sim-racing scene, with no sign of taking his foot off the pedal any time soon.
Speaking to FMT, Naquib said that racing has been a long-time passion of his, having played racing video games since childhood.
“Ever since I was young, I wanted to be a race car driver. How to become one? I had no idea,” he chuckles.
Stuck at home due to the pandemic, the E1 Championship was an opportunity for him to turn a hobby into something worthwhile. “And it was the best decision I ever made.”
His efforts paid off when Toyota noticed his natural talent and included him in its Rookie Racing programme.
So, can just anyone step in and become a sim racer?
No, it’s not as simple as that. According to Naquib, you have to be prepared to invest a lot of time and energy that you may not have.
“You need lots and lots of practice,” he said, adding that equipment is less important than skill. “You have to treat sim-racing seriously if you really want to go up in the racing world.”
Winning the E1 Championship was a dream come true for Naquib, being the culmination of all the work he had put into his passion.
“It showed what I could do as a driver. Some of us have dreams of becoming real-life drivers. I am no different but we are not always fortunate enough to have that opportunity,” he said.
“But thanks to sim-racing, it has turned out to be an alternative path for those of us dreaming to become real-life drivers.”
As far as anyone can tell, Naquib is not going to be letting go of the wheel any time soon. “As long as it involves racing and as long as it involves driving, I’m all up for it.”
Keep up to date with the E1 Championship by following it on Facebook and Instagram.