Gran Turismo finalists break down the 2023 Olympic Esports Series final circuit

Deep Forest Raceway is a Gran Turismo staple. Introduced as part of the first entry in 1997, it has been part of every game in the series up until 2013. It has made a return in Gran Turismo 7, and it will be the track we see our Olympic Esports Series finalists fly down June 25, streamed live on Olympic Channel as part of Olympic Esports Week 2023.

"I have a lot of fun driving in the Deep Forest," said Olympic Esport Series finalist and longtime Gran Turismo 7 competitor Jose Serrano. "I don't have a favorite circuit, but Deep Forest Raceway is one of them."

The fictional track is set within a thick Swiss forest alongside a steep cliff. Its tarmac stretches through tunnels, around 15 corners, and is surrounded by lush greenery, a deep ravine and breathtaking views.

What makes Deep Forest Raceway tricky

The 2.2-mile-long (3.54km) track, which many fans believe to be inspired by an abandoned motorsport course in Iowa called Greenwood Roadway, is difficult to handle while flying down the road at more than 250km/h. Although this track has been a part of the franchise for years, that doesn't make it any easier for professional Gran Turismo competitors.

"The challenges that it offers are the corners of the first sector. They are very fast, and [they are] there all the time," Serrano said. "I need to be at a constant pace in order to be ahead with the GR010, which is a very difficult car to drive."

Serrano is referring to the Toyota GR010 Hybrid '21, a model introduced to the series in Gran Turismo 7. The GR010 is being used by all competitors and isn't a car that many of the finalists have relied on in past competitions.

"The car is difficult because of its acceleration and it's hybrid," Serrano said. "You have to be very careful with the accelerator."

Serrano has been running through Deep Forest Raceway in the Toyota GR010 Hybrid '21 dozens of times over the last few months in both the qualifiers and while preparing for the final stages of the tournament. The Spaniard's qualifying time was 1:14.841.

Other racers, like Chile's Angel Inostroza, have said the Olympic Esports Series qualifier time trial has been one of the most difficult ones in which they've compete in. It takes hours of painstaking work to improve times by fractions of a second.

Now, finalists like Inostroza and Serrano must survive a pre-qualification round where drivers will again compete in a time-trial challenge on Deep Forest Raceway. The top 11 competitors will proceed to compete in one race with 35 laps. The winner of that final race will be crowned Olympic Esports Series winner.

"There is quite a long journey ahead [for me] with a rather complicated combination due to the car," Serrano said. "But I hope it will be worth all the effort."