Pau GP set to welcome Formula E show run this weekend - MotorSportsTalk

The legendary Pau Grand Prix Formula 3 event will get a taste of the future this weekend as two cars from the FIA Formula E series grace the streets of the French circuit.

Pau first played host to a grand prix back in 1933, and has been a race for a variety of different specification cars including Formula 1 (non-championship events), F2, WTCC and International F3000.

In recent years, it has become one of the most prestigious events on the F3 circuit, joining the calendar for the FIA F3 European Championship back in 2012.

However, it will play host to two Formula E cars this weekend as Jerome d’Ambrosio, Mike Parisy and Esteban Ocon complete show-runs for the fans that have made it down to the circuit in the south of France.

It will create a three-weekend run of Formula E action for d’Ambrosio, who finished fourth at the inaugural Monaco ePrix last Saturday. The Frenchman will return to racing at the Berlin ePrix on May 23.

Ocon will step into the car fresh from his first run in a 2015-spec F1 car in Barcelona on Wednesday, when he replaced Pascal Wehrlein at Force India for a test day after the German came down with illness.

In qualifying at Pau, British youngster Jake Dennis secured pole position for all three races on Friday. However, it will only be the winner of Sunday’s race that is officially regarded as the winner of the Pau Grand Prix and will join an illustrious list of victors that includes Lewis Hamilton, Romain Grosjean, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jackie Stewart, Jack Brabham and Jim Clark.

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An IndyCar executive said there is “absolutely” disappointment that its long-awaited video game recently was delayed beyond its target date, but the series remains optimistic about the new title.

“Well, I don’t know how quick it will be, but the whole situation is important to us,” Penske Entertainment president and CEO Mark Miles said during a news conference Monday morning to announce IndyCar’s NTT title sponsorship. “Motorsport Games has spent a lot of money, a lot of effort to create an IndyCar title. What we’ve seen of that effort, which is not completely obvious, is very reassuring.

“I think it’s going to be outstanding. That’s our shared objective, that when it is released, it’s just widely accepted. A great credit both to IndyCar racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something that our fans love.”

In June 2021, IndyCar announced a new partnership with Motorsport Games to create and distribute an IndyCar video game for the PC and Xbox and PlayStation consoles in 2023.

But during an earnings call last week, Motorsport Games said the IndyCar game had been delayed to 2024 to ensure high quality.

Somewhat compounding the delay is that IndyCar’s license for iRacing expired after the end of the 2022 season because of its exclusive agreement with Motorsport Games.

That’s resulted in significant changes for IndyCar on iRacing, which had provided a high-profile way for the series to stay visible during its 2020 shutdown from the pandemic. (Players still can race an unbranded car but don’t race on current IndyCar tracks, nor can they stream).

That’s helped ratchet up the attention on having a video game outlet for IndyCar.

“I wish we had an IndyCar title 10 years ago,” said Miles, who has been working with the organization since 2013. “We’ve been close, but we’ve had these I think speed bumps.”

IndyCar is hopeful the Motorsports Game edition will be ready at the start of 2024. Miles hinted that beta versions could be unveiled to reporters ahead of the time “to begin to show the progress in a narrow way to make sure we’ve got it right, to test the progress so that we’re ready when they’re ready.”

It’s been nearly 18 years since the release of the most recent IndyCar video game for console or PC.

“(We) better get it right,” Miles said. “It’s something we’re very close to and continue to think about what it is to make sure we get it over the line in due course.”