Thousands of fans had gathered, patiently waiting to fill the grandstands, long before the gates to the Bugatti Circuit opened at 7am on Saturday 9 September. They had all come to cheer on the 24 digital content creators picked to compete in the second running of the GP Explorer. And the race served up some thrilling track action. In addition to the sporting battles, a new Twitch audience record was set, with over 1.3 million viewers for the live broadcast. The highest figure to date in France. With a packed programme of entertainment throughout the day, the atmosphere was buzzing at the circuit.

After the free practice and qualifying sessions, the drivers battled it out in a 15-lap race. It was a perfect day for Alpine driver Depielo, who was fastest in the practice sessions and claimed pole. Then in the race, he further eclipsed the competition, taking the chequered flag with a 4.8 second lead over Sylvain from the Vilebrequin YouTube channel. “I gave it my all at the wheel. It was a matter of remaining highly focused and keeping the tyres at the right temperature. It was no easy task. It’s going to take me a while to process it all! I’m dedicating the win to all the fans present here at the circuit today.” Depielo declared.

Etienne Moustache secured the third podium spot while LeBouseuh and Ana On Air rounded out the Top 5. Squeezie, the YouTuber behind the GP Explorer project, finished seventh. There were a number of nail-biting tussles, such as the scrap pitting YouTuber and comedian Mister V against streamer and pro-gamer Gotaga for 11th place, with Gotaga finally having the last word. Meanwhile, Max Biaggi and Manon Lanza were forced to drop out of the race after spinning off track on the first lap.   

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Next up at Le Mans: the 44th 24H Camions truck race on the Bugatti Circuit on 23-24 September.