Gran Turismo Academy winner signed by Red Bull GP3 team

A former winner of Sony’s Gran Turismo Academy competition has been signed up as a driver for a real-life race team.

The BBC reports that 22-year old Jann Mardenborough is joining Red Bull’s Arden Motorsport team to compete in the 2014 GP3 series – that’s just two notches below F1 in the global race circuit scene.

"I thought I was pretty good because I could beat my friends on my street, but it was the first time trial I ever entered,” he said of winning the 2011 GT Academy, which is an online competition that takes place within the Gran Turismo games.

"I just wanted to see how I stacked up against people across Europe but I didn’t expect to win. No way I thought that.

"[In GP3] there’s a lot more power, more downforce, and it’s going to be more difficult to shine. But it’s in the shop window on the same weekend as Formula 1, on the same tracks, and in front of all the right people.

"It’s the top of motorsport and it’s what I want to achieve. That would be amazing if it happened but I’m not trying to plan things out. I just want to live in the moment and go as hard as I can – see what happens after that."