Esports Boom: MOZA Racing's 2025 Series and BMW-iRacing Collaboration

The sim racing esports landscape is exploding in 2025, fueled by innovative partnerships, massive prize pools, and integrations that blur the lines between virtual and real-world motorsport. With participation numbers soaring—iRacing alone boasts nearly 300,000 members—brands like MOZA Racing and BMW are stepping up to drive this growth. This year, MOZA's expanded series lineup and BMW's deepened collaboration with iRacing are prime examples, offering accessible competition for beginners while attracting pros with high-stakes events. These initiatives not only boost community engagement but also highlight sim racing's role as a legitimate pathway to real racing careers.

MOZA Racing's Ambitious 2025 Lineup: From Grassroots to Grand Finals

MOZA Racing, a leader in sim racing hardware, has extended its partnership with Simracing.GP into a third year, launching a suite of new series designed for racers of all levels. Announced in May 2025, this collaboration aims to foster global competition, with events kicking off in August and running through December. The lineup includes the MOZA Challenge 2025, MOZA Club Formula, and MOZA Community Racing, each offering unique formats, prizes, and progression paths.

The MOZA Challenge 2025: High-Stakes Seasonal Racing

At the heart of MOZA's esports push is the MOZA Challenge, returning for its third year with a $10,000 total cash pool and premium hardware giveaways. Structured across five seasons—each spanning four weeks—the series features weekly races where points are awarded based on performance, with multipliers for field size and strength of field to ensure fair play. Week 4 of each season doubles as a finale with extra points, and the top six drivers per season advance to a grand final in December. Prizes are a major draw: Seasonal winners take home $750 (1st), $325 (2nd), and $125 (3rd) in cash, plus weekly Moza Points for five participants and a Moza HBP Handbrake per season. The grand final ups the ante with $2,000 cash plus a Moza R12 wheelbase and FSR2 wheel for first place, a Moza R9 and GS V2P for second, and a Moza R5 Bundle for third. A new Laps Leaderboard runs across all seasons, rewarding the highest scorer with $750 cash. Open to all skill levels, drivers are split by Simracing.GP ranking. To join, racers can sign up via the platform's community page. While the specific sim isn't detailed in announcements, Simracing.GP supports titles like Assetto Corsa and iRacing, making it accessible on PC.

MOZA Club Formula: Tiered Open-Wheel Progression

For open-wheel enthusiasts, MOZA Club Formula introduces a ladder system in Assetto Corsa, simulating a career from rookie to pro. Divided into tiers—CF4 (Formula 4 equivalent) to CF1—racers progress by completing races, earning a 2000+ SGP rank, and obtaining licenses like Bronze AC. It uses the Formula RSS3 mod for realistic handling. Rewards include monthly prizes in CF4 and CF3, with grand prizes for champions in CF2 and CF1. This series emphasizes skill development, with regular international events to build experience.

MOZA Community Racing and iRacing Tie-Ins

MOZA Community Racing rounds out the lineup, targeting casual and emerging racers with inclusive events. Details are lighter, but it's positioned as an entry point, starting in August with MOZA prizes on offer. Beyond Simracing.GP, MOZA powers iRacing series like the FIA F4 Global Esports Championship, a four-event, eight-round affair with a $35,000 prize pool, and the Rookie DIRTcar Street Stock Series, offering bundles like the MOZA R3 PC kit. These cross-platform efforts have drawn over 12,000 participants in early weeks, showcasing MOZA's commitment to broadening esports access.

BMW-iRacing Collaboration: Bringing Real-World Prestige to Virtual Tracks

On the manufacturer side, BMW M Motorsport's 2025 tie-up with iRacing marks a "new chapter" in their decade-long partnership, elevating sim racing's authenticity. As the "Official Safety Car Partner," BMW provides the M2 CS Racing—free to all iRacing users since December 2024—as the lead vehicle for major Special Events. This mirrors BMW's real-world safety car roles, like in MotoGP since 1999, and adds branded flair with a special design and roof beam.

The collaboration covers iRacing's flagship endurance races, including:

- January 18: 24 Hours of Daytona

- February 12: 12 Hours of Bathurst

- March 22: 12 Hours of Sebring

- June 7: Nürburgring 24 Hours

- June 28: Six Hours of Watkins Glen

- July 12: 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

- September 6: 6 Hours of Indianapolis

- October 4: Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta

- November 15: Suzuka 1000 km

These events drew record crowds last year, with nearly 20,000 at Daytona alone. Timo Brückner, Project Lead for BMW M Automotive Gaming, noted, "This Safety Car partnership represents a new chapter... I am delighted that we will enjoy a prominent position next season at the head of the field." iRacing president Tony Gardner echoed, "BMW M Motorsport becoming the official safety car partner... enhances the racing experience for our members." Complementing this is the annual BMW M Power Challenge, an exclusive series using the M2 CS Racing on top road circuits. While 2025 specifics are sparse, it continues BMW's tradition of virtual prototypes like the M Hybrid V8, bridging sim and real motorsport.

Fueling the Future of Sim Racing Esports

These developments underscore 2025's esports boom: MOZA's series democratize competition with tiered access and hefty rewards, while BMW-iRacing adds prestige and realism to marquee events. Together, they attract new talent, boost hardware sales, and solidify sim racing as a vibrant, global sport. Whether you're a casual driver eyeing a MOZA hat or a pro chasing $2,000, there's never been a better time to plug in and race. For more, check Simracing.GP or iRacing's calendars— the grid awaits.