Following the eighth and final race of the 2026 INDYCAR Thrustmaster iRacing Pro Series season, a new champion emerged alongside a new race winner Feb. 26.

As a rookie to this series but veteran to the iRacing eSports ecosystem, Williams F1 Team Gaming's Alessandro Bico picked up his first-career victory, winning by nearly 10 seconds at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. However, by finishing in fifth in the same race, Team Redline's Luke McKeown (photo, top) scored enough to claim the 2026 championship by 15 points.

McKeown overcame a 37-point deficit to overcome in the final two races, earning a $20,000 first prize. He was the only driver to record more than one victory in the eight-race series, winning twice as part of his four top-five and five top-10 finishes in the competition among elite global sim racers.

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Englishman McKeown entered the race 10 points behind Team VRS competitor Michele Costantini. Entering the night, both drivers could win the title with a victory. But Costantini never got a shot to try from the 20th starting spot, 18 places behind McKeown from the jump. because he was fed a black flag on the opening lap for mechanical problems after being hit by another driver, all but ensuring a title for McKeown should he bring it home.

McKeown did just that, giving way to his teammates Edoardo Leo and Florian Lebigre early in the going, leaving space to the racing ahead, losing two more spots to both WSR Esports' Jaden Munoz and eventual winner Bico and safely bringing it home in fifth. That was more than enough to celebrate his first title in the series, adding another official iRacing eSports title to sit alongside his FIA F4 Esports Global Championship from 2024.