Set your quickest lap at the McLaren F1 Time Attack Challenge

SINGAPORE - Ever watch a Formula 1 race in action and think, “Hey I could do that, easily”?

Then take a stroll down to the McLaren showroom, where a McLaren Edition F1 simulator rig from local driving simulator specialist SimFai is now residing. 

You don’t actually have to own a McLaren to be invited for this event. Members of the public can register for a go in the F1 driving simulator at this link, and the top three fastest drivers each week will win a pair of Klipsch T5 II True Wireless earphones that are valued at up to $499. The best part in, entry is completely free and all you need to do is to fill in the online form to register beforehand.

The challenge is running from Aug 30, 2022 to Sept 20, 2022, and winners of the previous weeks are not eligible to try again. 

In case you think it’s all fun and games and an arcade experience, think again. The driving rig is equipped with hardware from specialist equipment maker Moza Racing, with a Formula-car wheel and pedal setup that feels exactly like that of a real car. Each entrant will have three laps in the simulator in which to set a quick lap time around the very difficult Marina Bay Grand Prix circuit.

Children must be at least 12 years old, and at least 160cm in height to be eligible for a go in it. It’s actually a limit set for safety, because the steering wheel’s feedback motors kick back with up to 16Nm of wrist-snapping torque, and the Formula-car style seating position cannot accommodate any driver shorter than the stated height. 

So, ahead of the return of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix at the end of September, here’s your chance to get behind the wheel of a 2022-spec McLaren MCL36 Formula 1 car, and see if you can set a lap time that would be comparable to what the pace setters will do come the actual race weekend. Driving helmet and gloves are entirely optional.

This article was first published in CarBuyer.