From Hobby to Career: 'Gran Turismo 7' Pro Shares His Journey To The Top

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Polyphony Digital's racing game has solidified its reputation as a strong contender among racing simulators. The Gran Turismo series, established in 1997, boasts over 20 years of development experience and a well-developed racing pedigree.

In fact, the racing series inspired a realistic movie adaptation in 2023, which highlighted Nissan's GT Academy for recruiting skilled players of Gran Turismo and transforming them into real racing drivers.

We spoke to Gran Turismo 7 sim racing professional Iqbal Suji to explore his journey of becoming one of the digital grid's fastest drivers.

"Racing has always been at the forefront of my interests since I sat in front of the living room TV watching Formula 1 with my dad. That interest turned into a passion once I started playing racing games and, subsequently, sim racing, specifically Gran Turismo," he said.

Iqbal found his calling to improve his racing skills after missing out on qualifying for a tournament final.

"I discovered the Toyota Velocity Esports Championship back in 2019. When I lost in the quarter-finals, I made it my goal to be the best driver in Malaysia. The rest is history," said Iqbal.

Iqbal explained that he focused on solidifying his fundamentals.

"The fundamentals were relatively easy. There are plenty of guides on YouTube that are more than enough to start learning," he explained.

"However, once you reach the upper echelon of racing, not everything is as simple. It's about how analytical you can be, finding advantages by watching replays and studying strategies," he added.

Iqbal also said that the learning curve for sim racing depends highly on one's goals. Naturally, it is steep for those aiming to become the best driver on the grid.

"I just like to see cars in all of their glory in crisp, high-definition graphics. The ease of access to simply turn on your console and start driving makes the game more appealing," he said.

Polyphony Digital has shown genuine reverence for the cars in the game, with each car and track meticulously laser-scanned to capture every detail.

"I've used many peripherals throughout my journey. I'm currently rocking a Fanatec GT DD Pro with the Boost Kit, as well as the Fanatec CSL Load Cell Brake Pedal," shared Iqbal.

"I also have the Fanatec Handrake Mod and the Clubsport Shifter HQ v1.5, in addition to a Fanatec Podium Porsche 911 GT3 R Suede Steering Wheel for other games," he added.

For those unfamiliar, Fanatec is a premium brand known for producing high-end sim racing equipment that replicates the feel of real-world motorsports.

"Unless you are in the top 0.5% of driers, setups won't dramatically improve lap times," he explained.

"I have seen casual sim racers with exquisite setups being outpaced by professionals using basic setups. It is only at the highest level of competition that the setup makes a huge difference," he added.

"Something that went under the radar was capturing the attention of motorsport professionals.

"Previously, many frowned upon the prospects of a sim racer, saying that their skills mean nought in real life. Today, I have had many testimonies from established and reputable backgrounds recognising the potential and talent in sim racing through my efforts," he added.

"People such as Pernilla Solberg, David Terrien, former Karting and GT World Champion, and Andrew Wheatley, FIA Rally Director, all can attest to this."

He said he previously competed in the Motorsports Association Malaysia (MAM) Rally Sprint.

"I placed third in the P10 Class and eighth overall in the MAM Rally Sprint 2023 Round 1 held in Serdang," he said.

We also asked if real-life racing was any different from sim racing.

"Everything felt right at home. The only major adjustments were understanding braking performance and feeling the clutch slip in when shifting," he explained.

"The end goal is to make it a sustainable profession. Currently, esports is rising in Malaysia, but sim racing feels like it’s treated as an abandoned child, not given the deserving love it is supposed to receive," said Iqbal.

"My efforts aim to promote sim racing to a wider audience to attract more attention to the sport and contribute to the establishment of a professional racing league in Malaysia.

"This way, sim racers can build careers similar to those in Mobile Legends Bang Bang and other mobile games," he added.

"There is no ceiling to being fast. Treat every day as a challenge to find new ways to be faster, rather than being content with where you are now if you are aiming to dominate the competition.

"Don't let other people dictate what you do; surround yourself with faster people. If none are faster than you right now, expand your horizon. Search far and wide until you find the next person who can beat you, and make them your next target," he said.