In this unprecedented era, several sporting events have had to turn their attention to the virtual world. Drivers were given kits provided by Asus, Scan, Playseat, and Fanatec to showcase their driving skills in rFactor 2. It's a nice twist: real-world Formula E drivers take on sim racers. It's all in support of UNICEF and a great cause.

I don't have a grasp of what's going on in the Formula E world, and in fact, my days of watching and enjoying Formula 1 are long gone, but the first race over the weekend worked well as an esport event.

Electric cars don't have the overwhelming noise of Formula 1 cars, replacing the ribcage-rattling volume of gasoline-powered cars with a more nasal growl.

What caught my attention in this article was not the race itself, but the Asus-powered machine that Scan provided for the race:

At £1,499 for this little machine, it's pretty close to what I would pay if I built it myself using the same components. Personally, I don't mind sacrificing CPU for more GPU power, but rFactor 2 may be more processor intensive than I give it credit for.

Of course, a good racing simulator setup is not only about the PC, but also about the peripherals. The official specifications for these machines include:

If you wanted to get a professional-looking racing setup, you know what to buy.