Retro Racing Manager's League Wiki

The Retro Racing Manager's League is a collection of racing series that are run using Grand Prix 2 as a platform for simulated races, intended as a form of enjoyment for motorsport fans during the outbreak of COVID-19 and in the years thereafter,

In the series, team principals are allowed to choose a car and team of drivers with specific criteria set from season to season. The inaugural season was dubbed the Grand Prix World Series and featured Formula 1 teams made up of constructors who had never won a Grand Prix and drivers who had never stood on the top step of the podium.

More championships were conceived and expanded into Group C and touring cars, amongst others.

Races are simulated and streamed online with commentary provided by a team of experts, with the team principals ready and waiting on the "pit wall" for conversation and banter in the respective text channels throughout the race.

The inaugural season of the Grand Prix World Series was competed by members of Downforce Radio's writing staff, before Season 2 and other championships were opened up to the general public.

## History

Following the outbreak of COVID-19 across the globe, many sporting events were cancelled or postponed, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, UEFA Euro 2020 and many more.

Motorsport events were cancelled throughout the world, with Formula 1 officially cancelling the Australian and Monaco Grands Prix while postponing others and Formula E suspending its season for two months.

With no motorsport left to enjoy, the community has turned to virtual racing to find its need for speed. While many professional racing drivers come together to race each other online, Jake Sanson of Downforce Racing decided to go down a different route and conceived the Retro Racing Manager's League.

The idea was to use Grand Prix 2, a video game released in 1995, and use its editing capabilities to code in different teams and drivers and simulate races to make various virtual world championships.

The idea was put forward to Sanson's colleagues at Downforce Racing, which was met enthusiastically. After electing to start with a Formula 1 championship, dubbed the Grand Prix World Series, many discussions about the required criteria of teams and drivers took place and it was decided to make it a championship for the underdog as only non-winning teams and drivers were allowed to compete.

It was also decided that works teams, such as Toyota, would not be allowed to enter, keeping the grid to privateer teams.

With the 26-strong grid set, the next step was to decide on a race calendar. After further discussions, the decision was made that no current races would be able to host a race. As a result, the calendar is made up of circuits that either used to host or have never hosted Formula 1.

Halfway through the inaugural season, with the series proving to be a success with team principals and fans alike, Sanson announced the next racing category to be introduced into the Retro Racing Manager's League in the form of Group C.

With more and more people becoming interested, further series were introduced and put into planning, including the Grand Prix 2 World Championship as an ongoing career mode-style series.

## Grand Prix 2 World Championship

A career mode-style championship and the main event of the Retro Racing Manager's League, the series started from the 1990 Formula One season and will work through to modern day 2020, making use of team development through the years and seeing a wide array of drivers used throughout its time.

\* Season in progress

## Grand Prix World Series

The original Retro Racing Manager's League championship, the Grand Prix World Series is a championship where only non-F1 race-winning teams and drivers are eligible to compete, making it a series for the underdogs.

Regulations

All-time statistics

\* Season in progress

## GOSH Le Mans Classic

The GOSH Le Mans Classic was a one-off special event to help raise funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

GOSH Le Mans Classic

## Group C Challenge

The second series to be introduced to the Retro Racing Manager's League, Group C Challenge saw Le Mans cars in action. With more teams added, the series features a 52-strong grid across two classes.

## RPRI Series

The RPRI Series makes use of a randomised point allocation system in a not to be taken seriously championship, where the race winner might not necessarily take home the most points.

Season one

## UK Touring Cup

With the Retro Racing Manager's League gaining more traction, further series' were added to the line-up with the first new addition being the UK Touring Cup, allowing BTCC cars from 2008 to 2011.

Season one

## Super Touring Cup

Running alongside the UK Touring Cup, the Super Touring Cup allows BTCC cars from 1992, 1993 or 1995 to make up a grid of Class 1 Works teams and Class 2 Independents.

Season one

## CART Champ Cars

This stateside series allows teams that ran in the Champ Car championship from 1990 to 2008, using only road and street courses.

Season one

## Indy Racing League

The Indy Racing League features cars from 1996 to 2008 and runs alongside the CART Champ Cars series, but only using oval circuits to make up its calendar.

Season one