Xiang Gao has quite the CV.

With 10 years of sim racing and six years of road car racing experience under his belt, Xiang is a hot contender for the McLaren Shadow Driver crown.

Qualifying at the Shanghai ChinaJoy event, the 26-year-old came out on top in the rFactor 2 VR time trials using the HTC’s Vive Pro headset.

Now, Xiang will travel to the UK for the first time to compete in the McLaren Shadow grand-finals. We caught up with the gamer to find out a little more.

What’s your favourite type of car to race online?

GT3 cars, because the acceleration, deceleration and cornering performance is very good.

What’s your favourite racing game?

rFactor, the physics engine is real, and there are a lot of mods. 

Favourite non-racing game?

PUBG, because it can it’s an effective way to practice response speed.

Favourite (real-life) racing driver?

Lewis Hamilton.

Favourite (real-life) race track?

Nürburgring. It's a difficult and exciting track.

What does McLaren mean to you?

McLaren means high-end and luxury to me… the place where dreams begin.

What gave you the edge to make it through?

Accumulated experience and steady play in the field.

Any tips for healthy, fun gaming?

Play for two hours, then rest.

When you’re not working/gaming, what are you doing?

Attending track day events and road trips - I love to be on the road, literally!

How are you going to prepare for the McLaren Shadow Grand Finals?

Practice - every day.

Who do you see as your biggest competiton?

Igor Fraga, who just beat all his rivals to win the GTSport FIA national cup, is fantastic.

The world's biggest esports racing competition will feature four days of intense tests and race offs, with two of the days streamed via our YouTube channel on Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 January 2019.