How PUMA is taking on the gamer-to-racer challenge in motorsport

Racewear giant PUMA created over 100 bespoke race suits, tailored to the actors' frames, plus hundreds of racewear items for the production of Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story – the new motion picture which is based on the unbelievable true story of a team of unlikely underdogs – a struggling working-class gamer, a failed former racecar driver, and an idealistic motorsport executive. Together, they risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world.

Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story is all about the 'Gamer to Racer' journey, which is reflected by Puma's own leading role in the motorsport world.

Using its expertise in sportswear, PUMA blended the worlds of physical and esports competition, collaborating with professional teams to help improve performance, and in turn PUMA has fortified its status as a market leader that resonates with a modern digital athlete that also strives to take their talents to the track.

This programme is strengthened by PUMA's near 40-year presence in motorsport, while the PUMA is now a key figure in the pinnacle of motorsport working with superstar drivers and teams.

"I think back in the day, it was a business case of working together with the best car manufacturers in the world, and an area where we had the opportunity to really impact and become more or less the first sports apparel brand entering that area," says PUMA Motorsport's Head of Marketing Mathias Wendholt.

"Nowadays, providing race gear to the teams and to the athletes, it's not just developing a race suit - it's more than this. We have our own factory in Italy that specialises in developing the best race gear for the best teams on the grid.

Puma Motorsport Network Still

Photo by: Gran Turismo film

"Every year this team is coming up with innovations to make the teams even faster, a good example is, that they always try to find ways to decrease the weight of the race suits and footwear without compromising the security of the gear.

"Listening to the drivers and teams, being innovative and always trying to push the boundaries is a big USP compared to other brands who are trying to tap into the motorsport area."

This extends to PUMA's offerings for the burgeoning sim racing sector, with a collection of clothing developed specifically for the world's best virtual racers. These blend performance with comfort to ensure complete freedom of movement behind the wheel.

But PUMA hasn't stopped there – which is where its connection to sim racing is ever-present. Its involvement in sim racing as a sponsor and a competitor is one avenue that PUMA has moved into, which complements its support of young drivers in the real world.

This support shows the brand's commitment to playing its part in the nurturing of emerging talent in racing, and PUMA kits out these prospective champions with bespoke racewear and equipment to ensure they have the right gear for the job – all the way from gamer to racer, as seen on the big screen in Puma's in their collaboration with Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story.