VOLUME 3 FEATURE
9 MIN READ
ANDREW LEE
PAUL KANDANOLEON
Gran Turismo is a game that’s been callusing the thumbs of motorsport fans for almost 25 years. Paul and Andrew have been playing it hard since they were kids and they recently reached a pinnacle of the online competition – taking on the world’s best in the Toyota GR GT Cup final. We caught up with them after the finals to talk about the rise of eSports, the debates about prize money and what it takes to compete at the top.
What’s your first memory of Gran Turismo? When do you remember getting into it?
Andrew
The first one I remember vividly playing was Gran Turismo 3, back on the Playstation 2. That’s when I used to really play, not even competitively. Like when you come home, you know, and you've had a bit of an off day or something and you just want to have a bit of fun. But I probably didn't start taking it seriously until last year when we had all these lockdowns and had a lot of time.
Paul
To be honest, my story really isn't too different to Andrew's. I've been playing since I was about seven or eight. That’s when I started to play a lot of car racing games like Gran Turismo. But, I didn't start really taking it seriously until early 2019. That's when, thanks to my loving family, they decided to buy me a proper simulator rig. So I could actually start putting in the hours because, at the end of the day, the dream has always been to compete on the world stage.
You've both obviously been racing a lot of Toyotas for the GR GT Cup. Do you have a favourite GR model to race in?
Paul
For me it would be the GR Yaris. It's got low aero. It's a road car with road tyres so there's not that much grip. And I found it just produced really good racing. Like, side to side, it was really good. Especially on Fuji. We were racing in the GR Yaris and it got pretty intense towards the end because there were four or five of us just bunched up. Anyone could win.
Andrew
I'm kind of torn, to be honest, between the GR Yaris and probably the new GR86. Both of those are really nice. As Noodles was saying, we had one race on Fuji which I prefer not to think about. That didn't really end well for me (laughs). But the following race, at Bathurst, we had a pretty cool little race around there in the GR86. The more laps I did, the more I just really enjoyed it. It’s a great little car to drive.
We’re about to launch the GR86 in Australia so, in a way, you two have had a bit of a sneak peek at how it handles on the track. What did you think?
Paul
It was really good.
Andrew
I think it's beautiful.
Paul
That Bathurst race in the GR86. Towards the top of the mountain you can really fang the thing. And it’s got that grip but it can also get a little tail-y. Again, it’s got low aero and road tyres. We also have to take tyre wear into consideration, obviously. So, it was really fun.
The GR86
ANDREW LEE
Do you have a competitive moment from the lead-up to the final that sticks out in your mind?
Andrew
I think it was round five or six, the back end of the season. Sardegna Windmills, on a dirt track. The GR Yaris performed really well. The traction was really what drew my attention. It was a lot of fun to drive. But that race was just something else entirely. I had a nice fight with one guy at the start for probably three or four laps, until he made a bit of a mistake which allowed me to get away. But the few moments we had side by side were extremely good fun, you know, flinging the GR Yaris around through the air and on the dirt. It’s an experience, that’s for sure.
You’re both in racing teams, Phoenix 7 Racing and Concord Racing. How has the team aspect fed into your successes?
Andrew
The team has really been a big part of me getting as far as I’ve got. Before I joined up with Phoenix 7 Racing, I was kind of stuck in a rut. Then, being teammates with a lot of people who have been in live events since day one, you can learn from that. They've been a big help for me personally, in terms of my own track performance, and in the way I carry myself off track as well. Especially, helping me learn to not kind of get too caught up on anything bad that might have happened, if I had a bad race or a bad round. I can't express gratitude to them enough.
Paul
So, this team that I've joined, I joined in late 2019. I joined because a couple of the guys were the top European drivers. I wanted to learn from them, how to improve my driving – managing tyre wear, managing fuel, all that kind of stuff. And I think that basically put me on another level. I remember, before joining them, I was pretty inconsistent. They've helped me over these years to improve along the way. I can't thank them enough.
How have you both seen the tournament grow since it started in 2018? Have the lockdowns had an effect?
Paul
It just seems like, over the years, the competition just gets tougher and tougher, which is obviously good to see. It makes it tougher for us drivers. Also, doing it online, instead of traveling to somewhere like Monaco to do a live event, that's a bit disappointing.
How about you, Andrew? Are you disappointed that you couldn’t travel? Or do you feel maybe there would be less pressure without the crowds of a live event?
Andrew
It's kind of a hard one for me, because I've watched live events since day one. And I sometimes think to myself, man how cool would it be to get on stage like that? But, at the same time, I'm quite comfortable doing it from home. I've never actually travelled before. I have some social anxiety, which plays a pretty big part in my life. So I think that would’ve made the traveling aspect a little bit harder. So, I was actually really excited about being able to do all of this from home. Because you're still competing on the world stage, but you can do it under your own roof. I just feel a bit more comfortable at home myself. Just being in a familiar environment, not having to worry about the crowds and lighting and cameras. And, you know, you can race exactly where you've been racing for the other 364 days of the year.
Now that the finals are over, can you give us a bit of a breakdown of what happened and how you felt?
Paul
So, they split us up into two groups. The semi-final race that we did was in the GR Yaris, in the Red Bull Ring on a wet track. So that made it challenging for us. Some people were braking really late and I think one of the cars actually hit another one off the tracks. It was pretty much mayhem towards the back, so you had to avoid all that stuff which I was able to do. But it wasn't good enough to qualify. I actually finished ninth in the race, which means I nearly made it to the grand final. So I'm pretty proud of myself.
The famous Le Mans circuit
You managed to qualify for the Grand Final, Andrew, well done! Can you give us a breakdown of the race from your perspective?
Andrew
For the grand final, we raced in the GR86 at Le Mans. I started P11 and got off to a nice start. I’d actually gotten up to P8 by the time we got to the Mulsanne Straight. So I was in a pretty good position. I still had the slipstream from the guys in front of me. I was able to stay in eighth position for the rest of lap one.
Then, when we came down the Mulsanne Straight again on lap two, as we approached the first chicane, someone had a good run on me. They pulled out and tried to make a move. But we both actually messed up our braking and basically ran straight through the chicane. I got back on and I think I was in thirteenth or something. I was able to stay with the group. So, a top ten finish was still possible. But when it came to the final lap, I tried to make some moves and ended up hanging myself out a little bit wide. It could have worked, but I was a bit too ambitious. In the end I came fifteenth. It's not what I wanted. But, you know, sometimes, certain things don't fall your way.
PAUL KANDANOLEON
It’s still a great effort to be making those kinds of moves in the grand final. Great work. Finally, how do you both feel about the debates about there being no prize money in the GR GT Cup, like in other eSports?
Andrew
Personally, I'm not bothered by the idea of prize money. I do know a few people who have been in competitions in the past and they told me they do it because they want to win money. And I've asked them, but are you actually having fun? And they go, well, I'm not really worried about that. I'm kind of the polar opposite. Like, if money did come into it and we were lucky enough to score a podium or even get a win, obviously I’m not going to say no. But, you know, racing for money – that's not what this is. We race purely because it's what we do. It's what we love.
Paul
Yeah, I definitely agree. The whole point of these competitions, in my opinion, is to have fun and just do your best.
The GAZOO RACING CLUB would like to give a big thanks to Andrew and Paul for taking the time to speak to us.
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