GP Explorer 2: We were there to experience the event

You may have never heard of the GP Explorer, and yet it was one of the events of the year for motor sports in France. Two years ago, Squeezie, the biggest French YouTuber (18 million subscribers), took on the challenge of organizing an F4 race between content creators and the first edition, run last October, was a real success.

Our video of the event can be found here ==>> https://youtu.be/kAZRqzXEFlE

A day of celebration in front of 60,000 fans

The GP Explorer returned this year to Le Mans, on the Bugatti circuit, to repeat the experience. There were 24 on the starting line, with names such as Mister V, Gotaga and Amixem. Before the race scheduled for Saturday September 9, these beginner drivers did not take it lightly. Under the direction of the FFSA, they had six months of training, shared between learning the theoretical rules and driving on several circuits in France.

“They showed great things. The group behaves well and it’s more and more peaceful. » rejoiced Pierre Sancinéna, the coaching manager, before the race. “We had a lot of days of driving for the most part. We were able to do training and this week, we were able to review lots of things. So, we hope they are as ready as possible. »

Well prepared for the event, the drivers had to face a new factor on race day: public pressure. The 60,000 tickets put on sale were sold within 30 minutes, a sign of the enthusiasm surrounding the event. Because the GP Explorer is not just a race, it is a professional organization with a TV set for the presenters who were on the live Twitch channel for 11 hours, a village with numerous stands and activities and single-seaters and stands in sponsor colors.

On the Internet, the GP Explorer was a huge success: 21 million people attended the event on Squeezie’s Twitch channel, with a peak of 1.3 million simultaneously, an audience record in France. On site, the atmosphere was lively despite the 36 degrees in the air. Fans were in front of the gates before the sun even rose, and stayed until late at night to attend the concert organized with rappers PLK and Hamza after the race.

The important support of F1 drivers

But one of the highlights of the day was the appearance of F1 drivers Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly. The two Normans were present to act as one-day team directors for the two teams sponsored by Alpine. Delighted with this advertisement for motor sports, they took two laps at the wheel of the 2012 Lotus E20, making its V8 engine roar to the screams of a packed audience.

“It’s incredible, frankly, to see so many people, especially the energy there. » smiled Pierre Gasly. “It’s really a great event and it’s very nice to see. I think it attracts a lot of people who weren’t necessarily directly interested in motorsport. Seeing that, they are a little more interested in it. And for us, it brings us more support for the Grand Prix, more people who are interested in it. »

The ART GP Formula 2 team was also present with its two drivers Théo Pourchaire and Victor Martins, who also performed a demonstration at the wheel of their single-seaters.

“It’s a great advert for motorsport. I hope this helps make it even more popular. It’s a great sport, for me the most beautiful in the world! » supports Théo Pourchaire, well on his way to being crowned F2 champion at the end of the season.

On the track, the one-day drivers fought a great battle, which also caused damage. From the second lap, a collision between Manon Lanza and Maxime Biaggi ended the race for both drivers. The first was taken by ambulance after suffering from shock, while the second remained prostrate for a very long time, keeping his helmet on for many minutes, very disappointed that months of efforts were going up in smoke so suddenly.

For the rest, it was Depielo, a YouTuber specializing in Formula 1, who took pole and then won ahead of Sylvain Lévy from the Vilebrequin channel, the outgoing winner. A third edition has not yet been confirmed, but there is no doubt that Squeezie and his team will be able to beat a new audience record for what will have been an excellent promotion for motor sports.