With the FIA Motorsport Games Opening Ceremony taking place in Marseille, France, in seven days' time, it’s time to introduce another group of nations competing at the unique global multidisciplinary event for the first time this year.
Teams representing more than 70 nations are set to compete across 16 disciplines in the second edition of the FIA Motorsport Games, taking place 26-30 October. That number includes 28 FIA National Sporting Authorities (ASNs) who will compete for medals under the colours of their country’s flag for the first time in France.
Team Greece will debut in four disciplines at the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games next week. The nation’s six drivers include George Lagos, who joins the highly competitive Drifting grid in his BMW E36 M3.
Nikolas Pavlidis and Dimitrios Amoxopoulos will contest Rally2 in a Skoda Fabia R5, while Paschalis Chatzimarkos and Marios Tsaousoglou will take on Rally4 for Greece in their Peugeot 208. Completing the team is Charalampos Mitropoulos in the hugely popular Fanatec Esports competition, with a McLaren 720S GT3.
With the immense growth of the Esports arena since the inaugural FIA Motorsport Games in 2019, it’s no surprise that the Fanatec Esports discipline has been one of the most popular to enter. Earning his place in the 57-strong field will be Juan Esteban Morales, who gives Guatemala its first representation in a Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020.
The Fanatec Esports competition will also welcome Iceland to the FIA Motorsport Games for the first time, with Hakon Jokulsson joining the Assetto Corsa Competizione-based discipline, also in a Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020.
Team Indonesia makes its FIA Motorsport Games debut with entries in both of the Karting Sprint competitions. Upcoming young driver, Aditya Wibowo will fly the nation’s flag in the Junior category, whilst Senior will be contested by Kaenan Reza Sini. Also joining Fanatec Esports is Presley Martono, who will compete in a Bentley Continental GT3 2018.
The Republic of Korea joins the FIA Motorsport Games for the first time in two disciplines. Following high interest from potential competitors and a thorough selection process, Michael Woohyun Shin has been chosen as the entrant for KCMG Formula 4. He will be joined by Team Korea’s representative for Fanatec Esports, Yunho Park.
Karting Slalom was one of the six founding disciplines of the first FIA Motorsport Games in 2019, and its popular return in 2022 will feature Rea Gashi and Baran Karabeg. Part of a five-strong delegation for Team Kosovo, they will be joined by Armira Topalli and Valon Juha, who represent the nation in Auto Slalom.
Team Kosovo will also field its first entry in Fanatec Esports, with Visar Gjikolli competing in a McLaren 720S GT3.
Team Luxembourg joins the 2022 FIA Motorsport Games in two disciplines, Drifting and Fanatec Esports.
Renowned drifter, 2012 Baku Drift Challenge victor Rohan van Riel will fly the nation’s flag in the 30-strong field Drifting discipline. He comments, “We have a solid team, and our BMW E63 M6 5.0 V8 should be in the middle of the grid. A podium would be a huge success, but we wouldn’t be ashamed to finish in the top eight. It will also be a first for me on the Paul Ricard track, but I can guarantee that we will give everything to bring a medal to Luxembourg at this international event.”
Selected through the ACL Challenge, Daniel Lahyr will be Team Luxembourg's representative for Fanatec Esports. “I have been practising this discipline for two years. Having participated in competitions in Paris and Brussels in the past, I intend to use that experience during the FIA Motorsport Games,” says Lahyr.
“Being able to represent your country at an event of such magnitude is the ultimate goal of any Sim Racer. I had to familiarise myself with the Assetto Corsa Competizione platform, the feeling is very precise, with little room for error – anything can happen.
“The objective will be to best represent Luxembourg and ACL Sport, and why not dream of a top 10!”
Team Morocco enters the FIA Motorsport Games for the first time with a single entry in GT Sprint. The vastly experienced Michael Benyahia, a former Formula Renault 2.0 race winner and British GT podium finisher last year, will race a McLaren 720S GT3 under the country’s flag and colours.
The South African nation of Mozambique sends its first delegation to compete in five disciplines at the 2022 event. Ghazi Motlekar, the youngest member of Team Mozambique will compete in Karting Sprint Junior, while Team Captain Cristian Bouché will represent the nation in Karting Sprint Senior and Guilherme Rocha joins the hunt to win €10,000 in the KCMG Formula 4 competition.
Zanil Satar will be hoping to drive his Toyota GT86 to a medal-winning finish for Mozambique in Drifting. Dylan Jesus completes the squad, a Audi R8 LMS EVO II 2022 his chosen car for Fanatec Esports.