This year marked the establishment of the first professional motorsport simulator team within the e-sports division of Széchenyi István University (SZESE E-Sport). The team immediately positioned itself among the elite in the field, achieving an outstanding result at the prestigious Daytona 24-hour simulator race in the United States. Competing in the highly competitive LMP2 category, the Hungarian team secured an impressive fifth place.

The e-sports division of Széchenyi István University enjoys well-deserved popularity among young students, supported by the institution’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and highly skilled professionals. The year 2025 ushered in a new era for the division with the formation of its first professional simulator team, which now represents both the University and Hungary in virtual motorsports. The team is led by Zsolt Nagy, a member of the University’s Digital Development Centre e-sports division, who brings nearly two decades of domestic and international simulator racing experience to mentor emerging talents.

The team’s first major success came at the iRacing-organized Daytona 24h event, one of the most prestigious competitions in virtual motorsports. The race featured nearly 24,000 players across more than 5,600 teams, collectively completing approximately three million laps on the virtual American circuit. Renowned drivers, including four-time Formula 1 World Champion Max Verstappen, six-time European Truck Racing Champion Norbert Kiss, and DTM Champion Bruno Spengler, also participated. The event captivated millions of viewers through official broadcasts and competitors’ live streams.

The team from Győr comprises well-known professionals both in Hungary and internationally, each with a distinguished record of domestic and global achievements. Dávid Tóth is one of Hungary’s most successful simulator racers, a multiple national champion, and a world championship participant. Tamás Simon, a key figure in Hungarian simulator racing, is also a world championship competitor and a specialist in car setup. Balázs Pálla, a student of the Hungarian-taught Agricultural Mechanical Engineering Programme at Széchenyi István University, has won multiple national championship titles under the SZESE E-Sport banner. The youngest team member, 16-year-old Dániel Oláh, demonstrated his exceptional talent by winning the 2024 K&H Hungarian National E-Sports Championship.

Balázs Pálla represents Széchenyi István University as a professional simulator racer in the SZESE E-Sport (Pro) team while also pursuing his studies in agricultural and food industry mechanical engineering at the institution. (Photo: Máté Dudás)

The SZESE E-Sport (Pro) team competed in the LMP2 category of the Daytona 24-hour race in the strongest field (Top Split), securing an impressive fifth-place finish after leading the race multiple times. The team from Győr built nearly a one-minute lead; however, due to changing weather conditions and deteriorating grip, a minor mistake led to an accident that caused damage to their car. Following repairs, the drivers determinedly fought their way back into the leading pack.

To support talent development, Széchenyi István University has also established an academic team aimed at discovering and training young racers, providing them with the opportunity to become professional competitors in the future. The SZESE E-Sport Academy achieved remarkable success at the Daytona race, finishing in third place in the third-strongest field of the LMP2 category. The team includes Máté Varga, a student at Győri SZC Jedlik Ányos Technical and IT School, Bálint Pálla, a law student at Széchenyi István University, Máté Mihalidesz, a student at Fáy András Technical School in Budapest, and Gergő Gázser, a Vehicle Engineering student at Széchenyi István University.

In the LMP2 category of the Daytona 24-hour race, the SZESE E-Sport (Pro) team competed in the strongest field. In the featured image, the team's car is seen leading the pack ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull. The car’s custom livery was designed by Tibor Kiss.

The University was also represented by two additional teams. The SZESE E-Sport UNI team, consisting of Zsolt Nagy, Bence Kovács, Gergely Kovács, and Máté Lampert, also competed in the LMP2 category, securing an 8th-place finish in the 18th-strongest field. Meanwhile, the University’s GT3-category team was forced to retire from the race due to an accident.

Those interested in following the development of university e-sports can stay updated through SZESE E-Sport’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, and Discord channels, as well as the official website.