The Best Sim Racing Personalities on YouTube

The Best Sim Racing Personalities on YouTube

If you are anything like me, you like to have something in the background while doing chores. Or if you are lucky enough during this pandemic, being able to work from home, and listen to what you want. It was only recently that I turned off the music and started having YouTube in the background. And with my love of F1 and all things sim racing, here are the Sim racing personalities I watch on YouTube.

Sim Racing Personalities: Jimmy Broadbent

Like most people, Jimmy Broadbent was the very first Sim racer that I started watching on YouTube. A British YouTuber who dabbles on quite a broad range of Sim Racing videos. From playing with some awful mods to setting himself challenges to beat in the sim racing arena. In 2021, he was given the opportunity to race for an IRL team called Team Praga where he raced a full season with their team. He isnโ€™t shy to admit that the only reason he got that opportunity was through YouTube and not through his skill. Though his team did manage to win a few races.

It was amazing to see his progression during the pandemic period. In the beginning, a lot of the motorsport world closed, but this moved the spotlight to the sim racing community which Jimmy was and still is a part of. Due to his success, he was able to move from a shed in his mumโ€™s garden to having his own home. Heโ€™s even going to do a second season with Praga which is amazing. It gives a lot of us Sim racers some hope that we can fulfil a dream that until recently has been reserved for the rich.

Another great aspect of Jimmy is that he likes to give back to the community. He hosts regular charity streams for charities he believes in. Iโ€™ve been watching his 23-hour stream of Zolder which benefits the Mind charity. A charity close to his heart, as he experienced mental health issues. Which as I can confirm is an ongoing battle, which you may never win but can at least manage.

He is worth a watch and unlike other gaming channels, you donโ€™t need to start from scratch to understand what is going on. Fingers crossed he continues to share his journey with us. I hope all the best and urge you to watch him.ย  His channel also feels like what the old Top Gear (Jeremy, Richard, and James) was like. With comedy and with banter with his other streaming friends.

Assetto Corsa: Chris Haye

While Jimmy Broadbent focuses mainly on the fun aspects of sim racing. Chris Haye looks at the more technical aspects. Such as the equipment and the best mods for sim racing. I discovered his channel first when I was looking for the best sim racing game to buy. Then also the mods for that said game. I wonโ€™t spoil it on either count. His videos are well-produced, and he provides valid praise and criticisms for the reviews he does.

His tutorials on setting up a sim rig are very helpful and would recommend watching the videos when you begin your sim racing adventure. With different focuses on each equipment as well as an overview guide which is helpful to anyone.

He also has a podcast to listen to called Talking Sims Podcast, unfortunately, he doesnโ€™t record episodes often, with the most recent recording being over a year old. But if you want more maybe mention it in the comments.

If you are more interested in the serious side of sim racing Chris Haye is worth a watch. Even so, he does have a less serious side.

F1 Games: Aarava

If you love the Formula One games but donโ€™t have the patience or skill to play it yourself, take a look at Aaravaโ€™s channel. He is a part of Team Quadrant. Which is a group of YouTuberโ€™s headed by Lando Norris of real-life F1 fame. Aarava provides commentary on his playthroughs of each F1 game. Unlike traditional Letโ€™s Plays, his commentary is recorded after the races have been completed. He provides great insight into the moves he makes while racing as well as the decisions he makes outside of the cockpit.

The commentary also sounds like the commentators of the current F1 broadcasts. Which I believe is what he aims for. This is great to watch when F1 is on the off-season. Unlike Jimmy and Chris however, he doesnโ€™t provide a face cam during his videos. So the sole focus is on the gameplay rather than himself which is refreshing.

But if you do like to see people who play the games, you should check out the Team Quadrant channel where they do more lifestyle videos that Aarava takes part in. Itโ€™s certainly worth a watch but is less focused on sim racing.

GT Sport and IRL: Super GT

Another member of Team Quadrant. Super GT is run by Steve Brown. His content is a mix of Gran Turismo Sport and real-life karting. Unlike other YouTuberโ€™s he focuses mainly on Gran Turismo Sport which isnโ€™t considered a real racing sim. But personally, I think itโ€™s the closest you can get on console and is a better experience than other sims on consoles.

I went through a phase of watching his karting videos, as it shows how his game experience translates to racing in real life. And unlike Jimmy, itโ€™s more accessible than full-on racing in a proper race car.

The one gripe I have with Steveโ€™s videos is that he is less likely to take on fun challenges that are available on a PC such as mods. And he is limited to just GT Sport and karting while others are willing to explore all video games. Even so, his content does feel more accessible since getting into sim racing on a console is far cheaper than a PC.

Sim Racing: Jardier

Finally, a non-British YouTuber. Britain is certainly the home both for motorsport and Sim Racing. I found Jardier via a Jimmy Broadbent charity event and Iโ€™ve been listening to his videos in the background while working or doing chores. Just like Jimmy and Stee, his content is a mix of sim racing and IRL racing.

His content is very similar to Jimmyโ€™s which is a good thing since if you get tired of Jimmyโ€™s personality you can switch over to Jardierโ€™s. He does a lot of streams and is a champion of many different online sim racing leagues. As well as a champion of one real-life league back in 2006.

On top of the fun videos, Jardier also provides helpful guides on both the racing and setup of the cars. The setup of the cars is his niche and there are plenty of guides that he provides in video format that you can watch. Itโ€™s something I need to look into when I get better at sim racing.

And Over to You

These are the oneโ€™s I watch, but what about you? Do you have any YouTubers that you recommend? Since most of mine are British it would be nice to venture out to see what other countries have to offer. Leave a comment and Iโ€™ll check it out and I may do another post on some more varied channels.


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