Norris confirmed in IndyCar Esports line-up for COTA round

Lando Norris has been confirmed in the driver line-up to make his IndyCar ‘debut’ in the sport’s iRacing Challenge series for this weekend’s race at Circuit of the Americas.

The McLaren Formula 1 driver has been a popular star across multiple Esports series, set up during the delays to the regular racing season amid the coronavirus crisis, including F1’s own Virtual Grand Prix despite suffering technical issues during every race. Norris also competed in a charity fundraising series Race the World against several other F1 drivers.

Norris is now taking on the US series for the IndyCar Virtual Circuit of the Americas round on April 25 competing as an extra entry for Arrow McLaren SP alongside regular drivers Pato O’Ward, Oliver Askew and Robert Wickens plus the rest of the 2020 IndyCar grid.

Australian Chaz Mostert will also be a special guest this weekend racing for Andretti Herta with Marco Andretti & Curb-Agajanian.

The IndyCar Virtual COTA event will see a 10-minute qualifying session decide the starting line-up before the 33 drivers take on the 32-lap race which starts at 19:30 BST.

Norris has been gaining experience in the sim racing series this week while he has also called on former McLaren performance engineer Andrew Jarvis for assistance as he has moved to the United States to work with the new-look Arrow McLaren SP squad.

The IndyCar Virtual COTA race is round five of the seven-round challenge series with 2016 IndyCar champion Simon Pagenaud impressing so far with victory at the previous two rounds held at Michigan International Speedway and Twin Ring Motegi.