eSports
Alonso and Barrichello team up for Le Mans Virtual assault with Torque Esports’ simulator company Allinsports
- The Spanish/Brazilian combination have an incredible 633 Formula 1 race starts and 43 wins between them
- Sim racing stars Olli Pahkala and Jarl Teien to join F1 stars
- Torque Esports’ sim manufacturer Allinsports throw support behind Le Mans entry
Formula 1 legends Fernando Alonso and Rubens Barrichello are teaming up for an assault on the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual – launching the FA/RB Allinsports team for the virtual version of the fabled French endurance racing event.
The duo are two of only five men with more than 300 Formula 1 race starts to their credit, with Barrichello holding the record at 322 with Alonso not far behind on 311.
Scheduled for June 13/14 – the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will fill the date that was originally scheduled for the 88th running of the legendary French endurance race, which Alonso has previously won twice.
The Alonso/Barrichello team is backed by Torque Esports (TSX-V: GAME) (OTCQB: MLLLF) and its market-leading simulator manufacturer Allinsports, which build and supply Formula 1-level simulators to both racing legends.
Headed by ex-Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull development and electronics expert Anton Stipinovich, Allinsports not only design and build full-size, full-motion simulators from its base in Maranello, Italy, but also market the eRacer simulator that is used by leading motorsport stars including Alonso, Barrichello, Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen, Charles Leclerc, Emerson Fittipaldi, Tony Kanaan, Helio Castroneves, Gil de Ferran, David Brabham, Conor Daly and Nicholas Latifi
The Torque Esports team has a long history at Le Mans with President and CEO Darren Cox creating the Nissan PlayStation GT Academy program which turned gamers into real-world race drivers and spearheaded the successful Le Mans debut for the likes of Jann Mardenborough and Lucas Ordonez.
Joining the Formula 1 stars for the event will be top Nordic sim racing racers Olli Pahkala (Finland) and Jarl Teien (Norway).
“I’ve been very fortunate to have two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the past two years, but the level of competition for the virtual race could be even tougher,” Alonso said.
“I’m thrilled to team up with Rubens and delighted to add Olli and Jarl to our team. Allinsports played a big role in getting both Rubens and I involved in sim racing, and we’re very excited to be working together with Anton and his team as well as the guys from Torque Esports who are putting this together.”
Allinsports’ Stipinovich previously worked closely with both Barrichello and Alonso during their Ferrari Formula 1 stints. The South African-born electronics expert worked with Barrichello during the dominant Ferrari Schumacher/Barrichello era and worked with the Ferrari Driver Academy during Alonso’s stint.
“Anton and I had a lot of success together back in the day and he has been a huge help in getting me involved in esports racing,” Barrichello said.
“I did Le Mans back in 2017 and loved the experience, and now I’m really looking forward to going back and doing it virtually with this great team. We have a lot of work to do to prepare for the race, but it is going to be a brilliant challenge.”
Both Alonso and Barrichello have showcased their virtual talents in the Torque Esports’ The Race All-Star Series powered by ROKiT Phones in the Legends Trophy division.
Alonso starred last week at Indianapolis, taking two victories, including a win in the reverse grid event. Barrichello has also been to victory lane in the series, taking a victory at NOLA Motorsport Park earlier this year.
The FA/RB Allinsports team has also enlisted the support of former Le Mans LMP2 winning squad Greaves Motorsport to support the virtual Le Mans assault. Jacob Greaves and his team will handle the preparations and in-race strategy for the team.
The Greaves Motorsport squad is no stranger to tackling the 24 Hours of Le Mans with gamers. Torque Esports’ Cox previously worked with the UK-based squad for the GT Academy graduates.
“We have a massive task ahead, but we’re doing everything we can to make sure we give this the best shot we can,” Cox said.
“Even though the weather, safety cars, and everything may be virtual, we’re treating this like the real thing, and Jacob and his team have that race-winning experience that we’re adding to our ‘virtual’ pit wall. We had great real-world success with Jacob and his team with gamers in the past – now we’re taking two real-world motorsport legends into the virtual world. It is a perfect flip from what we’ve done previously.”
The Formula 1 stars’ sim racing teammates have equally as impressive resumes. Pahkala finished third three times in the iRacing World Championship Grand Prix Series in 2014, 2015 & 2016, and second in the Road Pro Series in 2013. He finished fourth in the Formula 1 Esports Pro Series Team Championship in 2018 and was third in the Formula E Visa Vegas eRace in 2017.
Teien is a two-time LFSCart champion and has driven for G2 Esports in the eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual will kick off at 15:00 (CEST) on Saturday, June 13, with racers greeting the chequered flag at the same time on Sunday.
Source: Torque Esports
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Team Vitality names Blacklyte as new gaming chair partner
Team Vitality has partnered with Blacklyte as its new gaming chair partner, with a rollout planned across the organisation’s teams and physical locations.
Under the agreement, Blacklyte chairs and desks will be deployed across Team Vitality rosters including CS2, Rocket League, VALORANT, LEC, LFL, Rising Bees, Tekken 8, Teamfight Tactics, and Age of Empires II. The equipment will also be installed at facilities including the club’s Paris headquarters (V.Hive), its locations at the Stade de France, and in Berlin.
The companies said the partnership will include co-design work on a “new generation of chairs and desks” aimed at improving playing environments. A co-branded Blacklyte x Team Vitality product line is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2026.
“We are very happy to collaborate with Blacklyte and welcome them to Team Vitality’s partner family. This partnership comes at a historic time for the club on Counter-Strike, alongside the arrival of new flagship rosters, and more broadly reflects our ambition to keep raising our standards in both performance and innovation. Together, we are building environments that enable our players to fully express their potential at the highest level,” explains Vas Roberts, Co-CEO of Team Vitality.
“Team Vitality is one of the most respected names in global esports, and we are excited to collaborate to create this new era of gaming furniture. We will develop a new gaming ecosystem that empowers Team Vitality athletes to train in setups that enhance their playstyles while being supported and stylish,” says Blacklyte CEO Alex Liu. “Blacklyte products have always been at the forefront of redefining performance equipment in esports, and this partnership is a natural step to continue that mission.”
The post Team Vitality names Blacklyte as new gaming chair partner appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
eSports
Team Vitality partners with Team Havok to expand in Fortnite
Team Vitality has signed a strategic partnership with French Fortnite esports club Team Havok, expanding its footprint in the title as part of its broader diversification strategy. The announcement was made this weekend.
Under the deal, Team Havok will compete as “Team Havok by Vitality” and wear a co-branded jersey featuring Team Vitality’s logo. Team Vitality said the partnership is designed to combine its performance and organisational support with Team Havok’s Fortnite competitive presence.
Team Havok’s recent results cited by the organisations include winning European Major 2 in 2025, finishing runner-up at the World Championship, and ranking as the second-best European team. The duo Tjino and PabloWingu have qualified for this summer’s Esports World Cup and will compete in Team Vitality’s black and yellow colours.
Team Vitality also positioned the partnership as a fan development play in France via co-streaming, content creation, and influencer-led activations. Team Havok co-founders and streamers ZetFar and WaZz were highlighted for their reach with younger audiences.
The organisation said the tie-up follows prior structural collaborations including PSG Esports and Bigetron Esports, and could expand into Fortnite map development, exclusive merchandising, and influencer marketing. “This partnership with Team Havok reflects our ambition to work with the best in order to continue growing Team Vitality. Their performance, creativity, and ability to engage the French community make them an ideal partner,” said Fabien “Neo” Devide, President and Co-founder of Team Vitality. “We are incredibly proud to join Team Vitality. This collaboration with such a prestigious organisation marks a new milestone in the story we are building with our community,” said Grimz, caster at Team Havok.
The post Team Vitality partners with Team Havok to expand in Fortnite appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
eSports
Esports Foundation Appoints More Than 700 Game Coaches for the Inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026
The Esports Foundation (EF) has confirmed the appointment of over 700 game coaches representing the National Team Partners (NTPs) from more than 100 nations and territories for the Esports Nations Cup 2026 (ENC), the global nation-based esports competition set to debut in Riyadh from November 2-29, 2026. The announcement marks the start of team roster selections, due by May 10, with coaches now responsible for identifying players, defining team strategy and building competitive lineups.
Drawn from more than 90 leading esports organisations across the globe, the group of coaches spans world champions, established leaders and rising stars building local scenes, connecting team development directly to the highest level of global competition. The list of National Team Coaches is available on the ENC website.
The coaching pool, from seasoned veterans who have faced each other on the biggest stages to a new generation of coaches looking to make their mark, reflects the breadth of global esports. In League of Legends, LEC stalwart and G2 Esports coach Dylan Falco (Canada) will take on rising coaching stars like Quentin “Zeph” Viguié (France) and Jonas “Memento” Elmarghichi (Morocco). In Rocket League, the Netherlands’ Jos “ViolentPanda” van Meurs brings a world-championship legacy, while the youngest coach in the field, Abdulrahman Saad “d7oom-24” Bin Fayez, age 22, will lead a strong contender in Saudi Arabia.
Fans will also see international appointments across borders, including Swedish legend Fabian “Fabian” Hällsten coaching the United States’ Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege team alongside Brazil’s Guilherme “gohaN” Alf coaching Indonesia.
The appointments also highlight a growing group of women coaches who will be shaping teams throughout the world. In PUBG MOBILE, Camila “Mia” López (Chile), a professional manager, analyst and coach, brings experience from the global mobile circuit, while Nikol “Kehayoyo” Kehayova will look to lead Poland. In other game titles, Sabrina “SYA” Starke (Germany) heads up Honor of Kings and Angela “Kaylio” Sun Zhou (Australia) steps in for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, while in VALORANT Felicia “Felly” Cersac (Moldova) and Syeda “Skel” Samman (Pakistan) will lead teams from emerging esports markets.
“The Esports Nations Cup is being built step by step, and appointing team coaches is the next critical layer in that structure. If teams are what make esports intuitive for a mainstream audience, coaches are what make them credible for players and fans. They bring identity, direction, and standards to each team. With more than 700 coaches now in place across over 100 National Team Partners, we’re turning the idea of nation-based competition into something people can understand instantly and believe in — a system that is structured, real, and ready to perform on the world stage,” said Ralf Reichert, CEO of the Esports Foundation.
Coaches from the remaining nations and territories, including the ones without an NTP, will be announced at a later date. Attention now turns to finalising player selections, as teams take shape ahead of the ENC’s global qualification pathway. Competitors in solo-player games as well as in the remaining team-based titles will be identified through full open qualifiers, with details to be announced in the coming weeks.
The ENC introduces nation-based competition to the global esports calendar in a structured and recurring format. By enabling nations and territories to organise teams, develop talent pathways and compete on a global stage, the ENC creates new opportunities for players while strengthening connections between local ecosystems and international competition.
The post Esports Foundation Appoints More Than 700 Game Coaches for the Inaugural Esports Nations Cup 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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