The three BMW M Motorsport teams in the Automotive Games – BS+COMPETITION, MOUZ and Redline – are currently undergoing intensive preparation for the 2024 Esports World Cup (EWC), which will take place in Riyadh (KSA) from 22 to 25 August. A key part of the programme was a joint training week. The BMW M Driving Experience in Maisach (GER) took its drivers on a journey with five BMW M4 Competition Cups to Formula Medicine in Viareggio (ITA), where they worked on their mental and physical fitness under the guidance of sports physician Dr. Riccardo Ceccarelli.

The ESL R1 online season, which featured six race events, qualified drivers for the EWC and competed for a total prize pool of $500,000. The competition will be held on the simulation platform “Rennsport”. BMW M Team Redline finished the online season in first place in the team standings with 337 points, with BMW M Team MOUZ driver Maximilian Benecke (GER) joining the EWC as the defending champion.

The joint preparation week began with a BMW M Driving Experience in Maisach, which offered an exciting mix of real driving experience and the innovative BMW M Mixed Reality Experience. The drivers had the chance to test and develop their skills at the wheel of real BMW M4 Competition Coupés under the guidance of instructors. This exciting start was followed by a trip to Italy, where the teams travelled in five BMW M4 Competition Coupés. This trip strengthened team spirit and created unforgettable moments.

On arrival in Viareggio, where drivers from BMW M’s real motorsport also train regularly, the drivers were subjected to an intensive training programme in Formula Medicine, which included mental and physical challenges. Sessions in the Mental Economy Gym® helped the drivers improve their neural efficiency and increase their performance by reducing their energy expenditure. In the afternoons, the teams rotated through various stations, including psychophysical training, nutritional advice and simulation sessions where brain and heart rate were monitored. The experts in Formula Medicine also simulated the specific stress of competing on a big stage at a live event. Yoga on the beach and team-building activities such as canoeing and indoor challenges rounded off the programme and strengthened team spirit.