Simulated racing has raised its profile in the field of media sports and seeks its own position
As the ways to consume media sports change, driving simulations games have grown from visibility accumulating by-products, and imitative racing experiences of their paragon sports, such as Formula One and rally, into professionalized forms of competition. They have operated as tools to mediate know-how from virtual environments to physical tracks, at the latest with gamers who have transitioned into professional drivers. Notable reasons have been realism, challenge, and experience provided by required gear. The sport has also enjoyed broader visibility as a competitive gaming genre of electronic sports, esports.
The challenges of a unique sport
The dissertation demonstrates with theoretical reflection, interview research, and critical discourse analysis the unique position of sim racing as a form of competition. The developments of sim racing differ around the world, likewise, compared to esports’ phases. This has been affected by the varying sociocultural position of motorsports and gaming, differences in infrastructure, unique relation to paragon sports, and accessibility compared to traditional motorsports. As for an esport, the sport requires a lot of equipment.
From an audience perspective, its allure compared to its paragons, and more fictive esports is a challenge. So far, the image differences at the top tier between sim racing and traditional motor sports are evident in favor of the latter, due to resources, history, drama, and visibility. For example, sim racing drivers seem to be a secondary surplus to F1 teams that is underlined by, for the time being, little visible team investments to F1 Esports series’ drivers and position.
With professionalization, the risk of sim racing resorting into image washing is more likely based on the development trends in esports and gaming world. Problems of traditional media sports have become more common also among esports, for example due to questionable ownerships and motives of organizing countries and facets.
MA Ville Malinen’s contemporary culture dissertation script "Drives of Our Time – The Mediatization of Formula One Series to Esports and the Surge of F1 Esports into Media Sports" is held 21 March 2026, 12 o’clock noon at Seminarium’s hall S212. Opponent is docent, PhD Rami Mähkä from the University of Turku, and custos is senior researcher Veli-Matti Karhulahti. The event is in English.
The dissertation made amongst the Centre of Excellence in Game Culture Studies has been supported by the Foundation of Economic Education and the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
The event can be followed remotely via https://moniviestin.jyu.fi/fi/ohjelmat/musiikin-taiteen-ja-kulttuurin-tutkimuksen-laitoksen-vaitostilaisuudet/suora-lahetys-vaitostilaisuus-ville-malinen.
The telephone number of custos, whom the remote audience may contact in the end to submit possible questions is +358504016042.
The dissertation can be read in the JYX archive.
Background information
Ville Malinen has in his research specialized in motorsports’ media relationship by particularly analyzing F1 series in different ways. Malinen is a member of the Finnish Society of Game Research and a freelance writer specializing in media culture phenomenon.
Further information
Ville Malinen
ville.m.j.malinen@jyu.fi
