FIA hill-climb qualifying closes ahead of Luxembourg final

The FIA Esports European Hill Climb Cup is moving from online qualification toward its Luxembourg final on October 9–11. The published qualifying window closed September 7, after opening August 20. The competition format provides invitations for the eight fastest qualifiers. [1]

A timed challenge in RaceRoom

Qualification used a free car and hill-climb course in RaceRoom, with registered drivers’ times recorded on a public leaderboard. The PC competition allowed different control setups rather than requiring a particular wheel-and-pedal system. Its entry requirements were tied to the game’s system requirements and a legitimate Steam copy. [1]

A hill climb places the emphasis on a timed ascent rather than a wheel-to-wheel circuit race. It gives this event a different shape from the multi-round esports championships elsewhere on the calendar: the immediate qualifying target was the clock and a place among the eight invitees.

The timed hill-climb course

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The BMW 134 Judd brings hill-climb history

The competition car is the BMW 134 Judd V8 associated with Georg Plasa. The FIA’s car profile describes a 3.4-litre engine producing more than 500 bhp and revving beyond 10,000 rpm, in a car weighing under 800 kg. Those figures describe the real machine represented in RaceRoom. [2]

Plasa introduced the 1 Series-based 134 in 2011 after developing it as a successor to his BMW 320 E36. The earlier car had carried him to four consecutive FIA European Hill Climb Cup titles beginning in 2006. The choice therefore connects the digital event with a distinctive car and driver from the discipline’s history. [2]

BMW 134 Judd V8 in RaceRoom

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Finalists need an International Esports Licence

The online stage did not require a licence, but the onsite final requires at least a valid International Esports Licence issued through the driver’s national sporting authority. Competitors must meet the minimum age of 14 by the day before the final. [1]

The eight-place format is confirmed in the competition information; an invitation and final eligibility still form separate steps. The official event site remains the place to follow the accepted field and the detailed Luxembourg schedule as the final approaches. [1]