Driver Rhys Yates defies lockdown by 'working from home' in virtual rally in Argentina

So how, you might ask, is he trying to maintain the momentum from his strong start to the season in Monte Carlo and Sweden, and preparing for when the championship resumes.

The answer is simple – he’s doing it virtually thanks to the FIA World Rally eSports Shootout (#RaceAtHome), using the WRC 8 game.

The actual WRC was scheduled to be southern hemisphere bound next week in Argentina, but flights to Buenos Aires have been canned because of the pandemic, which has closed down the sporting world.

Instead, Yates is facing his world championship rivals via a high-tech simulator and high-speed internet connection.

“It’s my version of working from home,” he said. “Obviously, we’d all rather be out competing right now, but there are more important concerns as the world comes to terms with coronavirus. Nothing is more important than staying home and staying safe to help the NHS.

“When the lockdown came, drivers just accepted that the competition was done for us for a few months. But then the organisers of the WRC created this virtual rally and invited some of the drivers to compete. It’s a great way to get the spirit of competition going again.”Yates entered qualifying rounds of the virtual Rally Argentina today (Monday). If he’s successful and qualifies, you’ll be able to watch him tackle the infamous El Condor stage live on the WRC’s own Facebook page at 9 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, April 21).

Progression from there to the final four would mean another Argentina stage 24 hours later (again live on Facebook at 9 pm on Wednesday, April 22), with the final run over two stages on Thursday, again at 9 pm on Facebook

“I’ve never competed in Argentina before,” said Yates. “But I’ve been able to get some practice in on the simulator we’ve got set up here at home

“The roads are fantastic, but incredibly twisty and tricky and technical in places. The detail in WRC 8 is phenomenal. The El Condor stage runs way out west of Buenos Aires, close to the foothills of the Andes and you really get the feel for that as you go over the rope bridges, which have been there for hundreds of years. It’s amazing. “Everybody keeps telling me it’s just a game. I keep telling myself it’s just a game, but I know when that competition starts, it’ll be so intense and just like a real rally.

“It makes it even more real to be competing against the likes of Oliver Solberg, son of 2003 World Rally Champion Petter. Drivers we’ll be fighting with again once the season gets going for real again.” WRC promoter Oliver Ciesla welcomed Yates alongside the series’s other future champions. He said: “While the WRC is paused as the coronavirus outbreak continues, we’ve turned the spotlight on the championship’s stars of the future for the eSports WRC Shootout.“Of course, our drivers are missing real-life competition. We all are. But I’ve no doubt their competitive spirits and adrenaline will surge as much as ever behind the WRC 8 wheel on Rally Argentina’s tricky stages.“Virtual driving is a fast-growing part of motorsport and this shootout sits alongside our popular eSports WRC Championship, which continues through the WRC hiatus. I hope our fans will enjoy watching the shootout from home before competing themselves in our eSports Championship.”