Kovalainen opens first ever F1 second life experience

ING Renault F1 Team driver Heikki Kovalainen officially launched the ING Renault Team's presence in Second Life® today, becoming the first F1 Team to have fully interactive Second Life® presence. The launch was marked by the first ever live 'virtual' Formula 1 press conference held entirely 'in world' in Second Life®, with media and fans in attendance.

After completing his first Second Life® experience, Heikki Kovalainen said: “It’s been fascinating to take part in the press conference today, and to discover the virtual world of Second Life®. As an F1 driver, I am used to speaking to the press a lot, and even to big real-life media conferences, but this was something completely different!

“Obviously, the Second Life® project is all about finding a new way to meet the fans, and to give them access to the Formula 1 experience. This seems like a great way to do it, allowing people from all across the world to come together in one place, to discuss their passion for our sport. It is really in line with everything else that the ING Renault F1 Team does to try and take our sport out to the people: events like the city demonstration Roadshow I will be taking part in next weekend in Warsaw, for example.

”I will be really interested to see how the community develops on the team’s island, and I am sure I will be making more visits to Second Life in the future!”

The Finn completed a 15-minute Q&A session with Second Life® journalists and fans, before taking part in the first official go-kart race on the island’s circuit – which, naturally, he won comfortably!

The island will open to the public on Friday, 25 May as the ING Renault F1 Team community on Second Life® begins to grow.

About the ING Renault F1 Team island

The ING Renault F1 Team island offers visitors unique interactive experiences, and offers the opportunity to interact with team members from a front-running F1 team during regular, post-race events..

Constructed around a challenging racetrack, the ING Renault F1 Team island is split into 9 zones, each offering visitors a number of activities designed to increase their understanding of Formula 1 whilst providing a unique interactive experience:

• Race Track: Visitors can buy their race overall and helmet, then step into go-karts, whose design has been inspired by Renault’s 2007 F1 car, the R27. Visitors will be able to invite a group of friends and organise a race to see who really is the fastest out on track - and then experience the thrill of stepping onto the winner’s podium and spraying the champagne!

• Press Conference: F1 fans visitors will feel what it’s like to step into the spotlight as you face the TV cameras and flash bulbs, just like the drivers they admire. This area will allow visitors to download the latest press materials in order to keep up-to-date with team news, and will include a Message Centre, where team fans can send questions to the team - which may be used in the regular post-race podcasts, or answered during the post-race meetings that will be held with the team after each Grand Prix.

• Garage and Pit-lane: For any F1 team, the garage is the real heart of the matter. Explore a realistic recreation of the team’s facilities when they are at the track, and learn about the jobs involved in one of the pressure points of any Grand Prix, the pit-stop. Team members will explain what their jobs involve, and visitors can simulate the roles involved in servicing an F1 car - such as changing a tyre, or operating the jack. This interactive area is designed to allow visitors to improve their understanding of the work involved behind-the-scenes every time a Formula 1 car turns a wheel. Visitors can then relax in the ‘chill-out area’ behind the team’s garage, complete with the ever-present tea and coffee machine.

• F1 Factory and Race Shop: The ING Renault F1 Team island features a factory setting inspired by the team’s Technical Centre in Enstone, UK. This factor space will offer the opportunity to take a closer look at the R27 race-car, as well as learning more about the design and construction processes of the car. Visitors can pause for the obligatory photo opportunity at the wheel of an F1 racer. The Enstone area will also be the venue for press and public meetings to be held on the island.

• Johnson Human Performance Centre: Physical fitness is a crucial part of any F1 driver’s armoury, and it’s no different on Second Life®®. Test your fitness by undergoing an F1 driver training programme in the gym, or see if you can match their agility on the ‘reaction wall’ - and compete against other Second Life®rs for the best score.

• Remote control car game: Remote-controlled cars can be obtained from the team’s official merchandise store, and provide an instant, fun activity for visitors to the island. Four people can race each other on the model track, as they compete to see who can make it to the finish line in first place.

• Grandstands: Dotted around the race track, the three main grandstands - each named after one of the three Renault brothers Marcel, Louis and Fernand - offer visitors the chance to meet and chat, as well as watching the go-kart action out on track.