From March, Norbert Kiss, a six-time FIA European Truck Racing Champion, will be reinforcing Széchenyi István University’s professional e-sports simulator team, SZESE E-Sport Pro. The team, which debuted in the international e-sports scene this year, is entering the season’s most prestigious world competitions with high hopes, now strengthened by the experienced racer.

Széchenyi István University established its first professional e-sports simulator team this year, immediately stepping into the sport's elite ranks. The team, composed of outstanding Hungarian talents, recently welcomed a new competitor: Norbert Kiss, widely known from Formula 1 broadcasts and a six-time FIA European Truck Racing Championship, has joined the Győr-based squad as a seasoned player.

“I am delighted to join the University’s initiative and be part of the first professional simulator team composed solely of Hungarian competitors. I hope that with my more than twenty years of experience, I can contribute significantly to our success, and together, we will achieve outstanding results in international races,” said Norbert Kiss, who also heads the recently established simulator division of the National Automobilesport Federation of Hungary. He added that during the season, there will be overlaps between the iRacing simulator series and the European Truck Racing Championship, but thanks to the team’s flexibility, he will not have to miss the most significant battles. “For instance, the 24-hour race on the Nürburgring in June coincides with the Slovak truck racing event, but hopefully, I will still be able to assist my teammates in the evening using a remote simulator,” he revealed.

From March, Kiss Norbert will be a member of Széchenyi István University’s SZESE E-Sport simulator team (Photo: András Adorján)

“At the beginning of 2025, we established this unique simulator team in Hungary, recruiting successful Hungarian racers on both national and international levels. Kiss Norbert now joins Dávid Tóth, Tamás Simon, Dániel Oláh, and Balázs Pálla, a student at Széchenyi István University. In his very first race, the 12-hour Sebring event, he finished in seventh place in the strongest category alongside Dániel Oláh and Balázs Pálla, out of nearly six hundred teams,” detailed Zsolt Nagy, the team leader and a member of the University’s Digital Development Centre’s e-sports division.

With nearly two decades of domestic and international simulator experience, the expert stated that due to early successes, the team’s name is already recognised internationally, but many challenges still await them in the remainder of the season. “Qualifying for the biggest world tournaments is already a great achievement, and performing well in them is an even bigger challenge. However, our realistic goal is to have as many of our competitors as possible line up against top teams, including the four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen and his Team Redline,” said Zsolt Nagy.

Team members, including Kiss Norbert, can prepare for international competitions in Széchenyi István University’s professional e-sports facility (Photo: András Adorján)

The team leader also highlighted that SZESE E-Sport includes both an academy team and a University team. “Our goal is to support young racers in their development, helping them achieve the best possible results and progress to the professional level. At the same time, as a higher education institution, we also assist players in obtaining valuable degrees and acquiring essential professional knowledge for their future at Széchenyi István University,” he stated. He also pointed out that simulator experience can be beneficial in other professional areas, as the luckiest players—such as Norbert Kiss—can pursue real racing careers. Others may continue in engineering, team management, journalism or other related fields within the sport. 

Anyone interested in the University’s e-sports developments can follow updates on SZESE E-Sport’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and Discord channels, as well as on the official website.