Sim racing is no longer just a way to practice between races—it is increasingly becoming a pathway into real-world motorsport. From helping drivers learn the brand-new Madring before ever turning a real wheel there, to preparing competitors for Saudi F4 and providing professional teams with sophisticated driver-development and vehicle-testing tools, the virtual and physical worlds of racing are becoming increasingly connected.
This week’s Sim Racing Roundup looks at how sim racing can develop skills, prepare drivers for real competition and, in some cases, create a direct route from the virtual grid to the real one, including a new real-world pathway partnership highlighted in the Racing Women feature.
Overview
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
Racing Women Named Official Real-World Pathway Partner of Screen to Speed Season 2
Racing Women is proud to become the Official Real-World Pathway Partner of Screen to Speed Season 2, creating exciting opportunities for competitors to progress from sim racing to driving on a real track.
Screen to Speed is open to women drivers of all experience levels – from complete newcomers discovering sim racing for the first time to experienced competitors looking to develop their racecraft and pursue new opportunities in motorsport.
From Sim Racing to the Track
The winner of Screen to Speed Season 2 will receive a funded seat on Racing Women’s week-long Development Course on Ice in Sweden in February 2027. This immersive programme will help the winner develop essential car-control and performance-driving skills in one of motorsport’s most challenging environments.
The partnership will also open the pathway to the wider Screen to Speed community. Racing Women will award three Discovery Day passes, each offering a half-day hands-on driving and motorsport experience at a UK race circuit, including 1:1 professional coaching, performance analysis, and guidance for your next steps in racing.
Anyone who participates in any Screen to Speed Season 2 race will be eligible to win one of the three Discovery Day passes.
More details can be found here.
Racing at Jeddah in Saudi F4?
Racing at Jeddah in Saudi F4? Drivers Lab is now offering Jeddah F4 race prep for drivers competing in the upcoming Saudi F4 season. Build circuit knowledge, work through the key sections with their expert coaches, review telemetry, and find the final tenths before you arrive at the track. Limited slots available. Book your slots today. Contact Drivers Lab here.
Preparing for the Madring in a Sim
Madrid marked the first appearance of the circuit on the FIA – Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile F2 and F3 calendar, which meant arriving without any prior track data. For AIX Racing, that challenge was addressed weeks in advance, on their Virtex simulator, building the vehicle model and refining setup direction before a single lap was driven on track.
The weekend showed what that preparation was worth. Emerson Fittipaldi Jr claimed P2 on Saturday and P5 on Sunday, and the team collected points across both categories on a circuit nobody on the grid had raced before. That is a clear illustration of what simulation work can deliver when it is properly integrated into a team’s race weekend preparation, and not treated as a separate exercise.
This Sim Racing Tool Became A Secret Weapon For F1 (And Car Companies)
Sim racing has evolved far beyond driver practice, with professional simulation technology now serving as a bridge between motorsport, automotive development and autonomous driving. This feature at Yahoo Sports takes a look at rFpro, the professional-grade simulation platform used by major racing teams to model everything from suspension and aerodynamics to tires, weather and highly accurate digital circuits.
The same technology is also being used to train autonomous vehicles in realistic virtual environments. For motorsport, it is another example of how simulation is becoming an increasingly important tool for both driver development and vehicle technology.
Competitive Sim Racing News
- Porsche Esports Supercup: With 32 drivers now chosen, the World Championships await (Porsche)
- This Week in iRacing | September 15th to September 21st, 2026 (iRacing)
- Logitech G returns as eNASCAR College iRacing Series presenting sponsor in 2026-27 collegiate season (iRacing)
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
- Valve’s Steam Frame VR headset price reveal: A good option for sim racers? (Traxion)
- Sim Racing GPU Prices Are Rising: What Should You Buy? (Box This Lap)
- Sim Racing GPU Prices Jump 40% as RTX 50 Surges [2026] (Shattered)
- MOZA Racing Debuts Its First Officially Licensed Racing Wheels for PlayStation®5 consoles at Tokyo Game Show 2026 (Moza)
- Tokyo Game Show 2026 Sim Racing: Hardware, Games and Reveals (Box This Lap)
- Best Simagic wheels and wheelbases in 2026 (Traxion)
- Fanatec Announces the ClubSport F1 Racing System (Tech PowerUp)
General Sim Racing News
- The Caterham Seven Academy and the Caterham Seven 420R race car are joining iRacing! (iRacing)
- Formula Legends to add online multiplayer this month after selling 100,000 copies (Traxion)
- iRacing Arcade Review – Serious Racing, Arcade Attitude (Cog Connected)
- Why Assetto Corsa Rally’s V0.6 update was more important than first thought (Traxion)
- VRC releases 2026 F1 car-inspired mod for Assetto Corsa (Traxion)
- How to make the most of Assetto Corsa Rally’s photo mode (Traxion)
- Start Your Engines! NASCAR 26 Launches on PC, PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S (iRacing)
- Project Motor Racing Releases V8 Power Pack (Games Press)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. As a lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.
