Verstappen and Norris join forces for virtual Le Mans 24 Hours

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Red Bull Racing's Max Verstappen and McLaren's Lando Norris will team up for next month's virtual Le Mans 24 Hours event, the pair racing for well-known Esports operation Team Redline.

The online event will be held on June 13-14 in place of the real-world round of the World Endurance Championship which has been postponed to September 19-20.

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Avid sim racers Verstappen and Norris, who have competed together before under the Team Redline banner, will share an LMP2-spec Oreca with sim racers Atze Kerkhof and Greger Huttu.

Organised by the ACO in collaboration with the WEC, the virtual endurance event run on the rFactor 2 platform, has attracted the entries of some famous motorsport teams.

Team Penske will field a virtual Oreca LMP2 car, while reigning Le Mans winner Toyota Gazoo Racing has entered a trio of virtual machines.

But privateer LMP1 outfit Rebellion will also be a force to be reckoned with thanks to its four-car team of contenders entered in partnership with Williams Esports.

Fernando Alonos's Esports team has also been handed a single entry for the event while the massive filed will also include a host of GTE virtual machinery.

Former Ferrari chargers Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella are expected to team up under the under the patronage of Princess Charlene of Monaco.

The ACO will reveal the full list of entrant and drivers in the coming weeks.

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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.