We caught up with McLaren Shadow driver, Enzo Bonito at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to find out what he's been up to so far this year.

You've just come back from showing off the new HTC Vive Pro McLaren Edition VR kit at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. We heard you even managed to get out to the F1 pre-season test too?

Yeah, it was my first time watching Formula 1 in person instead of on a TV. The feeling is indescribable. Hearing the sound of the cars - I just loved it. It's super special and being so close to the team. It's emotional.

What about the Congress itself - how did you enjoy your time with HTC?

Mobile World Congress was very fun and it was great to meet the HTC guys who were really nice people. The Pro McLaren Edition is awesome and it has definitely improved from previous years. For sim racing you have to use your eyes a lot, and with Vive you are able to see the colours and picture clearly. So that was great.

Lots of people were there trying the VR kit out and showing an interest in it. I tried to explain a bit about my role at McLaren and the Shadow programme, and it definitely grabbed people's attention. Having competed in sim racing and real racing I was able to pass on a bit of experience too - the feel, the adrenaline etc - so that helped. Overall, the congress was amazing and it was nice to meet and be close to our partners. 

You attended the Race of Champions in Mexico in January. How did you find it? We saw you had an epic win against Formula E driver Lucas di Grassi in the ROC Nations Cup.

It still feels amazing and I still can't believe it to be honest! It has just been great to show how skills can be upgraded from sim to the real thing. I was the first person to not believe in myself, because I was going up against such established drivers and champions. Doing the first laps helped me build a lot of confidence because you understand that - actually - you've done this before thousands of time, just not on a real track.

How does the rest of the year look for you? Do you have any races on the agenda?

I'm looking forward to trying to do some more real racing. I'm going to test on a local Italian track on a formula grid car soon, so that should be fun. I'm also excited to experience F1 Esports with McLaren and use the experience I've gained over the past few months to try and be up there with the best.

Any tips for young esports fans out there looking to follow in your footsteps?

If you really want to get yourself into an esports competition and prove your skills, remember it's a different lifestyle from everything else. It's so different. It's nice to see all the young talent going for it and I think the McLaren Shadow Project is an excellent way into that. You're racing with the greatest guys and you are given the opportunity to improve yourself in sim racing. You can also drive with the real pros too, like Lando Norris. You have to enjoy it, fun is the first thing. If you enjoy doing it then I think the good results will come.

The 2019 F1 season isn't too far away now - are you looking forward to cheering on the team?

Absolutely. Especially now I've actually seen the cars up close at testing in Barcelona - it has made me even more of a fan. I can't wait for the first race to begin and I'll be cheering all the way for McLaren.