Formula Virtual Series starts today: the story begins again at the Nürburgring
Formula Virtual Series returns to racing with its first round of 2026 at the Nürburgring, 32 drivers on the entry list and one question running through this reunion: who will add their name alongside Tiago Castro and Miguel Meireles?
A lot has changed since the last edition in 2019. There are new teams, rivalries built in the intervening years and champions from other disciplines seeking a place in this story. Now, the Super Formula 22 by Advanced Simulation presents everyone with the same challenge in rFactor 2. Past results give us reasons to watch certain names particularly closely. They do not guarantee anyone a place at the front.
João Gil Neves and Bernardo Kolbe: the rivalry moves to a different car
It is hard to look at the entry list without remembering the most recent VTCC. João Gil Neves and Bernardo Kolbe meet again, following a title battle that was only settled at the final round in Monza.
João Gil arrives as the VTCC champion and the LMP2 class champion of Le Mans Masters Season 2. Two titles in different settings make his presence particularly intriguing: can he bring that adaptability to a single-seater? At United Simracing, he will be joined by Carlos Esteves, a pairing that also makes the teams’ contest one of the points of interest at this opener.
On the other side, Bernardo Kolbe is entered for Neptune Motorsport Sunstar Racing alongside Francisco Martins. Having taken the VTCC fight all the way to the finale, he now has another opportunity to start on top. The rivalry has a history; how the two compare in this car remains to be seen.
And it would be a mistake to reduce the first round to those two names.
Beto Belo, winner of the Formula 3 trophy, lines up with Tiago Pina at ORM ProSimTech. That earlier single-seater success gives us another reason to follow his start, although Super Formula and an hour-long race bring demands of their own.
At Morabia ST, the entry list features Gonçalo Brites, Rúben Brites and Azra do Carmo. With trophy titles and standout championship results, this line-up has no shortage of competitive experience. The question is who will first find the confidence to attack — and who can retain it when the tyres no longer respond as they did in the opening laps.
The teams also have their own campaigns to launch
Sunstar’s presence extends to the OhShiftTV Sunstar Racing entry of António João Loureiro and Hugo Ardions, the team II line-up of Tiago Lopes and Mário Santos, and the team III pairing of Fernando Barbosa and Nuno Noronha. There are several duos to watch in a championship where preparation could matter as much as individual speed.
Porto Pro Racing has José Couceiro, Gustavo Mortágua and Eduardo Cunha on the entry list. Mortágua has already won at Mosport since the trophies returned, while Couceiro brings the Toyota Supra title to his record. Pedro Amaral, winner of the Renault Clio and Copa Corsa trophies, is also part of the Spirit SimRacing line-up, which features António Abreu and Jorge Afonseca.
Elsewhere, Rodrigo Teixeira and André F. Pinto represent Team Full Speed. Rui Oliveira for Origin, Gonçalo Nunes for Aquila Club and Filipe Gordinho for ORM join a field that also includes Andrea Zampini, Karl Strouhal, Mickael Folcher, Peter Vagapov and Luciano Ichazo.
There are reasons to follow many drivers. For now, there is no established pecking order. That is precisely what makes tonight special.
One hour to discover who has prepared best for the return
At the Nürburgring, the first answer will come in a 60-minute race, with a standing start after the formation lap and a mandatory change of all four tyres between minutes 3 and 57.
The pit stop creates room for strategy: stopping early to find clear track or extending the first stint could change a driver’s position without an on-track overtake. But every choice will have to stand up to the actual race pace.
There is another resource to manage: 200 seconds of Push to Pass, with activations lasting up to 20 seconds and a 100-second interval between uses. Using it to complete an attack may make sense; needing it shortly afterwards and not having it available could prove costly. In qualifying, where its use is prohibited, the battle takes place without that assistance.
The opener will therefore be about more than comparing fast laps. It will be the first test of preparation, reading rivals and the ability to execute a complete race.
The opening chapter of a journey through to November
After the Nürburgring, the championship heads to Madring before crossing Asia with Shanghai, Yeongam, Suzuka and Buriram. Six rounds, running until 30 November, will decide who writes the next name into Formula Virtual Series history.
The liveries will also be competing. As part of the partnership with Advanced Simulation, the two liveries receiving the most community votes will be included in the original mod released to the public. It is recognition for work that begins long before the car leaves the garage.
Today, though, the focus will be on the track. Tiago Castro and Miguel Meireles remain the only champions of a competition returning with new contenders and rivalries that are very much alive.
The third name is yet to be written. The first opportunity to stake a claim comes tonight at the Nürburgring.
