How Sim Racing Has Helped the Career of Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen is adamant that sim racing has helped him in his Formula 1 career and in this edition of the Sim Racing Roundup, you will learn how.

In addition to this, I look at another sim racer experiencing real-world racing, how esports can grow the motorsport ecosystem, multiclass racing tips from Daniel Morad, Formula 4 coming to iRacing and more.

I also include the latest sim racing tech news and reviews, general sim racing developments and much more. All this on this week’s Sim Racing Roundup on Motorsport Prospects.

From Sim Racing to the Real Thing

Sim Racing Roundup

Sim Racer Chris Rosales explains his decision of why he will be going real world racing in an endurance race for the first time ever and what he can expect when he takes part.

“Sim racing is one of the best tools modern drivers have to learn a track and even master them. While in real life I’ve never even seen Watkins Glen, I’ve spent the better part of 10 years sim racing on the track virtually. And I consider myself decent in the sim, somewhere between a fast casual racer and esports capable, but nowhere near the top of the pile. But I firmly believe that sim racing teaches you applicable skills, racing logic, and muscle memory that makes you a better high performance driver.”

Max Verstappen Sim Racing Setup

Ross Bentley at his Speed Secrets Sim Academy posted an interview with Max Verstappen where he discusses how Sim Racing has helped his career.

“It’s very interesting to see them drive because they have no real experience of a car but, somehow, when you look at how they’re braking, how they’re controlling, it is how it should be. It’s very interesting for me to then compare myself to them because they’re naturally quick on the sim, I’m naturally quick in real life. For me, that’s another motivation, because I know that I’m confident that when I want to jump in a real car, I’ll be quick.”

Sim Racing Roundup

As the line between the physical and digital worlds blur, so does the line between real-world and virtual sports. Reframing our understanding of competition, in his Ted Talk, data-driven technologist James Hodge explains how far esports (like virtual Formula 1 race car driving) have come in replicating the conditions of physical sports, making elite competition more accessible than ever before. “This really is the new era for play — and it’s open to everyone,” he says.

“Play gives us new possibilities. The technology is closing the gap between our aspirations and our access to that opportunity. It’s closing down barriers, geographic barriers, social barriers, economic barriers. It enabled Rudy to go and live his dream. We all have dreams and this is allowing us to go and fulfill our dreams.”

How Sim Racing Has Helped the Career of Max Verstappen

Continuing my theme of using sim racing as a pathway to real-world motorsport, iRacing has announced an official partnership with the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) to bring a licensed FIA Formula 4 experience to iRacing. As part of the agreement, the car currently known as the iRacing Formula iR-04 will be relaunched as the FIA F4 with iRacing’s 2023 Season 3 release in June.

From the Press Release:

Nikolas Tombazis, FIA Single Seater Director said: “This partnership with iRacing is an important step for grassroots motor sport development. The virtual racing space is a key area for the FIA in its goal to double global participation in motorsport, both as a discipline in its own right and as a route into real-world competition. The next generation of racing drivers is already highly engaged in this arena, which removes many of the historical barriers to entry by being low-cost and easily accessible, opening up possibilities to increase diversity and engagement in new and emerging markets. Formula 4 Championships, Certified by FIA, represent the first step for drivers to move from karting to car racing, and to have a highly-respected industry-leading partner in iRacing bringing this global framework online is fantastic news.”

The FIA Formula 4 platform was announced in 2013 in advance of a 2014 debut, and has grown in popularity around the world as the ideal first step on the global open-wheel racing ladder. Featuring a diverse range of chassis and engine manufacturers, each F4 car is capped at 160 horsepower to ensure equal performance around the world. Formula 4 Championships, Certified by FIA, now take place across four continents and have been established by FIA member organizations.

iRacing’s version of the FIA Formula 4 car benefits from the same level of analysis, detail, data, and testing as members have come to expect, while the genericized model allows for use by FIA member clubs worldwide without manufacturer conflicts. iRacing offers multiple public series featuring the FIA Formula 4 to its more than 200,000 active users, with options for both custom setups and fixed performance. Dozens of real-world FIA Formula 4 host circuits are already available on iRacing, with more to be added in future releases.

For more information on iRacing and for special offers, visit www.iracing.com.

Competitive Sim Racing News

Here are more headlines from the world of competitive sim racing:

Sim Racing Tips & Techniques

In the video above, GT and sim racer Daniel Morad offers tips on Multiclass racing. “A must watch guide for endurance racing and multiclass racing. These 5 points will help you and your opponents run a safe, faster and more efficient race.”

Sim Racing Tech Roundup

Here is a roundup of the latest sim racing tech news and reviews from around the world.

Sim Racing Roundup

General Sim Racing News

Mark Boudreau
Author: Mark Boudreau

Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. As a former 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.