Muhammad Aleef Journey in E-Racing: Muhammad Aleef Mohamed Rafik in Singapore doesn’t just hear race car engines start, feel the wheels grinding against the road, and feel the exhilaration as he races down the straight at 354km/h. His qualities are all these. His life revolves around them because he’s Singapore’s top e-sports driver.
At Shaw Theatres Lido on August 7, a 24-year-old watched a preview of Sony Pictures’ “Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story” sports film. The movie made him feel young again. The movie was titled “Gran Turismo” after the 1997 PlayStation racing game series. Aleef appreciated the movie since he played his first Gran Turismo game at four.
Aleef’s enthusiasm for racing has carried over from those early days. He has won seven Asia-Pacific awards and three US trophies. He came to America for education in August 2022.
The film, which opens in Singapore theaters on Thursday, follows 31-year-old British race car driver Jann Mardenborough as he overcomes obstacles. The film is about Mardenborough, who goes from racing video games to racing vehicles. Archie Madekwe plays Mardenborough, while the real Mardenborough is a stunt double. The article follows Mardenborough’s 2011 GT Academy transition from virtual to real-life racing.
Sony Interactive Entertainment and Nissan funded GT Academy. This initiative allowed talented Gran Turismo players to become Nissan racers. Racing began at 19 for Mardenborough. In the movie, his first race went poorly. It was shaky, which his demanding coach and other racers criticized. Even his parents were unsure.
However, the Cardiff boy worked hard and improved with each race. For the 24 Hours of Le Mans, he raced on the Red Bull Ring in Austria, the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain, and the Circuit de la Sarthe in France.
Aleef is more than a fan of the film. The movie’s racing scenes were his favorite; he told The Straits Times. He liked how they presented Mardenborough’s 2015 Nurburgring crash in depth.
Mardenborough and Aleef have several traits. As a kid, Aleef idolized race car drivers like James Robert Baldwin and Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton’s autographed racing glove is in his living room. The glove was awarded after winning a major e-racing competition in 2016.
Aleef started e-racing at the 2008 Formula One Singapore Grand Prix at age 8. He begged event organizers to let him test child simulators. Since then, he has used his idols’ racing techniques in computer games and on tracks. He drives fast automobiles on recognized courses.
Aleef’s racing simulator experience helped him drive race cars like Mardenborough. He said the simulation rig looked like a race car, but driving is physically hard and requires neck workouts to adapt to G-forces.
Aleef has had several nice experiences. He was admitted into the GT Academy at 17 but was too young to compete in the finals. He also won five games. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing Team and Ball State University (BSU) in Indiana gave him two scholarships in 2022. He’s studying business analytics at BSU.
In his last SRO Esports Sim Pro Series race at Nurburgring, he was with Mardenborough, whom he admires.
Aleef’s accomplishments have benefited his younger brother, Muhammad Thasbeeh Mohamed Rafik, and boosted e-racing in Singapore. The Sim Racing Association of Singapore (SRA-SG) and 99 Bends estimate over 500 e-racers in Singapore. They think this number is rising.
Legion of Racers (LOR) uses simulated racing to promote motorsports. These groups offer training and build road-like tracks.
Aleef and other computer racers who become real-life racers show that simulation racing is more than a game. It’s a place to learn driving and start racing.
“Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story” is unique. Like Aleef, many can relate to its story. It shows how dreams may come true, how following your passion can lead to success, and how the engines’ loud noise can be a strong desire. Cinemas will release the picture on Thursday. It’s about a journey that has inspired many and still inspires new winners.
