Hamilton races the pros at Gran Turismo World Finals

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©Twitter

The "FIA GT Championships" 2019 Series World Finals kicked off yesterday in Monaco, with Lewis Hamilton in attendance at the popular sim racing event.

The six-time F1 world champion is notoriously reluctant to spend time in his Mercedes team's simulator at Brackley.

But on Friday, Hamilton-the-amateur gladly participated in a Pro-Am exhibition race around Spa-Francorchamps in which he was paired with reigning Gran Turismo Nations Cup champion Igor Fraga.

Hamilton and Fraga finished a deserving third in a race won by Motorsport F1 reporter Jon Noble and Florent Pagandet.

In Monaco, Gran Turismo also unveiled a single gale mode that allows players to challenge a series of best times personally set by Hamilton at ten different tracks!

Fancy taking a shot at the Maestro? The Lewis Hamilton Time Trial Challenge will be available from November 28.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.