GP Explorer, a hybrid Formula 4 contest taking place on the Bugatti circuit in Le Mans, France, in which content creators make up the driving teams, drew 1.4 million spectators on Twitch over the weekend, making it the highest-viewed French stream to date on the platform.
State channel France 2 also broadcast the tournament for the first time, with the last race on Sunday afternoon (October 5), drawing 1.22 million spectators, for a 10.8% share of the audience, according to figures compiled by audience monitor Mediametrie.
By comparison, the Singapore Grand Prix drew 1.09 million spectators in France for pay-TV network Canal+.
In its third edition, GP Explorer is the brainchild of French YouTuber Squeezie (Lucas Hauchard), who has some 20 million YouTube followers, with the support of the FFSA Academy, the Le Mans-based motorsports school training drivers and mechanics.
Alongside the racing, there were concerts on Friday and Saturday night by artists such as Vladimir Cauchemar, Joyca, Tiakola and Myd, while the French airforce’s Patrouille de France did a flypast ahead of the final race.
A total of 24 content creator drivers participated in this year’s tournament, which was opened up to international contestants for the first time.
Spanish streamer Karchez, won the tournament, with France’s Kaatsup and Maxime Biaggi coming in second and third, while U.S. contestants Ludwig (Ludwig Ahgren) and Michael Reeve came in ninth and 14th respectively.
Kaatsup, who has 1.8 million followers on TikTok, was the first woman to mount the winners podium across the three tournaments.
Squeezie, who was competing under the Netflix team banner, began the last contest in ninth position but did not complete the race.
GP Explorer was initially sparked by a 2020 pledge from Squeezie during a live-streamed influencers charity event that he would host a real-life, motor-racing tournament if more than €100,000 ($101,000) in donations was raised.
He kept his promise after sum came in, launching GP Explorer in 2022. It drew over one million views for Twitch in the first year, with its following growing over the next two editions.
Squeezie (Hauchard) announced the third edition would be the last ever GP Explorer tournament, but has revealed he is mulling other motor-racing related events.
Speaking on the fringes of GP Explorer over the weekend, he told French sports newspaper ‘L’Equipe’ that he wanted to create an entry level league aimed at young racing aficionados lacking the financial backing to compete in the sport.
The final edition of GP Explorer was its most ambitious date with some 200,000 spectators participating in person in Le Mans across the event, with tickets starting at €69 ($80) for the race days on Saturday and Sunday.
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