Retro Racing Manager's League Wiki

The Retro Racing Manager's League is a racing series that is run using Grand Prix 2 as a platform for simulated races, intended as a form of enjoyment for motorsport fans during the outbreak of COVID-19.

In the series, team principals are allowed to choose a car and team of drivers with specific criteria set from season to season. The inaugural season was dubbed the Downforce Grand Prix World Series and featured Formula 1 teams made up of constructors who had never won a Grand Prix and drivers who had never stood on the top step of the podium.

Races are then simulated and streamed online with commentary provided by Jake Sanson, with the team principals ready and waiting on the "pit wall" for conversation and banter with the main host throughout the race.

The inaugural season was competed by members of Downforce Radio's writing staff, before being opened up to the general public from season two onwards.

History
Following the outbreak of COVID-19 across the globe, many sporting events were cancelled or postponed, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, UEFA Euro 2020 and many more.

Motorsport events were cancelled throughout the world, with Formula 1 officially cancelling the Australian and Monaco Grand Prixs while postponing others and Formula E suspending its season for two months.

With no motorsport left to enjoy, the community has turned to virtual racing to find its need for speed. While many professional racing drivers come together to race each other online, Jake Sanson of Downforce Racing decided to go down a different route and introduce the Retro Racing Manager's League.

The idea was to use Grand Prix 2, a video game released in 1995, and use its editing capabilities to code in different teams and drivers and simulate races to make various virtual world championships.

The idea was put forward to Sanson's colleagues at Downforce Racing, which was met enthusiastically. After electing to start with a Formula 1 championship, dubbed the Grand Prix World Series, many discussions about the required criteria of team and driver took place and it was decided to make it a championship for the underdog as only non-winning teams and drivers were allowed to compete.

It was also decided that works teams, such as Toyota, would not be allowed to enter, keeping the grid to privateer teams.

With the 26-strong grid set, the next step was to decide on a race calendar. After further discussions, the decision was made that no current races would be able to host a race. As a result, the calendar is made up of circuits that either used to host or have never hosted Formula 1.

Halfway through the inaugural season, with the series proving to be a success with team principals and fans alike, Sanson announced that season two would shift into a different racing series and introduce Group C.

With more and more people becoming interested, further series' were introduced and put into planning, including the Grand Prix 2 World Championship which would be an ongoing career mode-style series.

Grand Prix 2 World Championship
A career mode style championship and the main event of the Retro Racing Manager's League, the series will start from the 1990 Formula One season and work through to modern day 2020, making use of team development through the years and seeing a wide array of drivers used throughout its time.

* Season in progress

GOSH Le Mans Classic
The GOSH Le Mans Classic is a planned one-off special event to help raise funds for the Great Ormond Street Hospital.

GOSH Le Mans Classic

Grand Prix World Series
The inaugural season of the Retro Racing Manager's League was season one of the Grand Prix World Series, featuring Formula 1 machinery from teams that had never won a Grand Prix and drivers who had never stood on the top step of the podium.

Regulations

All-time statistics

* Season in progress

Group C Challenge
The second series to be introduced to the Retro Racing Manager's League, Group C Challenge saw Le Mans cars in action. With more teams added, the series features a 52-strong grid across two classes.

Season one

UK Touring Cup
With the Retro Racing Manager's League gaining more traction, further series' were added to the line-up with the first new addition being the UK Touring Cup, allowing BTCC cars from 2008 to 2011.

Season one

Super Touring Cup
Running alongside the UK Touring Cup, the Super Touring Cup allows BTCC cars from 1992, 1993 or 1995 to make up a grid of Class 1 Works teams and Class 2 Independents.

Season one

CART Champ Cars
This stateside series allows teams that ran in the Champ Car championship from 1990 to 2008, using only road and street courses.

Season one

Indy Racing League
The Indy Racing League features cars from 1996 to 2008 and runs alongside the CART Champ Cars series, but only using oval circuits to make up its calendar.

Season one

Le Mans Masters
This dual-class championship will feature machinery from LMP1 and LMP900-675, with drivers only eligible if they have never won the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Season one

GT Masters
Coupled with the Le Mans Masters, the GT Masters will be contested using GT1 and GT2 cars.

Season one

V8 Supercars
Australia's super competitive equivalent of the British Touring Car Championship will feature in the Retro Racing Manager's League.

Season one

World Touring Cars
This series will allow teams that competed in the World Touring Car Championship from 2008 to 2011, with any touring car racer eligible to compete.

Season one

Vintage Grand Prix
A dual-class series that features Formula 1 machinery from the 1950s and 1960s. Drivers must be over the age of 35 and have competed in Formula 1, raced at the 24 Hours of Le Mans or contested the Indianapolis 500.

Season one

Formula 3000
The premier feeder series to Formula 1 before GP2, the popular series will be revived with cars from 1998 to 2002, with drivers only allowed between the ages of 17 and 25.

Season one

Formula Nippon
Now known as Super Formula, Formula Nippon was a proving ground for many future Formula 1 drivers. 1998 or 2000 cars are allowed with drivers having to be between 17 and 25.

Season one

Super Seventies
Two separate classes will race in the Super Seventies category, but not from the same style of car. One class will be made up of 70s Formula 1 cars while the other will feature touring cars from that era.

Season one

Formula Junior
Formula Junior will allow team principals to create their own teams and compete under their own identity, with any drivers between the ages of 16 and 21 allowed to compete.

Season one