Max Verstappen says that sim racing will shape future racing talent, and David Cook from Racing Prodigy agrees. Find out why in this edition of the Sim Racing Roundup. I also have advice on setting up a sim rig in a small room with a small budget and much more!
Overview
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
No Tracks, No Problem: How Sim Racing Unlocks Hidden Talent
Sim racing is breaking borders. David Cook from Racing Prodigy explains how it’s helping countries like India find and develop hidden racing talent without needing access to racetracks.
Max Verstappen: Sim Racing is the Future of Talent Development
Max Verstappen has long been a vocal advocate for sim racing, but he now believes it has become an essential pillar for the education of the next generation of racing drivers. “For Verstappen, the simulator is no longer a game; it is a vital tool that can teach young talents the fundamentals of vehicle dynamics before they even step into a real cockpit.”
Lando Norris and the Rise of Simulators
Lando Norris has only recently established himself as one of the leading figures in real-world Formula 1, but his relationship with virtual competition goes back much further. The British driver is one of the most visible faces of a trend that has been building for years: the normalization of sim racing as a natural extension of professional motorsport and as a gateway for millions of fans who compete from home. Box This Lap looks at the rise of simulators.
Is It Time to Buy a Racing Car Simulator?
After being inspired by the likes of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris both on real-life and virtual race tracks, the Financial Times asks, is it time to buy a race simulator? “Lando Norris might only just have made it to the top of Formula 1 in real life, but he’s been the champion of the online racing world for some time. Drivers such as Norris and four-time F1 world drivers’ champion Max Verstappen frequently compete in online races with other gamers, spending far more time on a track in the virtual world than they do in their day jobs.”
iZone Driver Performance Partners With Racing Women
Racing Women has extended their partnership with iZone, their official SIM training hub.
iZone (based at Silverstone Circuit) is Europe’s leading driver training facility, developed by triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx. They are an Elite Performance Centre, focused on the development of world class drivers, motorsport athletes and mentally-resilient competitors.
Their state-of-the-art facility features:
- 4 x High-tech simulators – Used for coaching
- 4 x Training simulators – Used for race craft, training and drills
- Motorsport gym – Cardio, strength and psychomotor training
- Studio – Yoga, boxing and circuit training
- Sports lab – Fitness assessments
- Zone Room – For mindfulness practice
- Drivers room – Personal study and relaxation
- Boardroom – Group training seminars
Paul Ricard Real Life vs Le Mans Ultimate: Ferrari 296 GT3 Onboard
Coach Dave Academy compares a lap around Paul Ricard between Real Life and Le Mans Ultimate. Real lap driven by David Perel and the LMU lap is driven by Frank Lucid.
Competitive Sim Racing News
Esport Talent Search for Africa Launches
I became aware of an exciting initiative this week with the launch of the Esport Talent Search for Africa (ETSA), a talent discovery and value creation aimed at discovering and nurturing the best sim racing talent in Africa.
“Africa is the youngest continent in the world — a place where creativity, ambition, and raw talent are abundant. Yet too many young people remain disconnected from structured opportunities, global innovation ecosystems, and high‑performance industries.”
You can read more about the program in Cristian Maffi’s post on LinkedIn here as well as at the official webpage here. Christian is inviting all African National Sporting Authorities as well as members of the FIA, to contact him for further discussion.
More Competitive Sim Racing News
- This Week in iRacing | January 27th to February 2nd, 2026 (iRacing)
- Next Level Racing commits to Motorsport Australia partnership extension in 2026 (Motorsport Australia)
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
Small Room, Small Budget: A Beginner Sim Racing Setup That Actually Works
BMW Blog looks at a sim racing rig for a small room and a small budget. “A compact sim racing rig you can fold and store: Playseat Challenge X, Logitech G923, PS5 + ACC. Full cost breakdown, setup tips, and verdict.”
Wire Yourself Up for Racing, Science Style
In Part 4 of his guide to setting up a racing driver lab, Terrence Dove looks at how to wire yourself up. “You can get wired up, have extra screens on the go, and absolutely produce some numbers that are genuinely going to help.”
OverTake Teams Up With Evolution Racing Academy For Free Sim Racing Beginners’ Course
Getting started in sim racing can be tough, which is why OverTake and Evolution Racing Academy team up for free courses for their community members. “So, as we are always looking for benefits for the OverTake community to enjoy, we teamed up with Evolution Racing Academy to help the fresh faces in sim racing getting started properly: Over the next eight weeks, OverTake members can attend a course consisting of four lessons on basics, followed by four more lessons on more advanced subjects. The course kicks off on Saturday, January 24, at 19:15 UTC.”
You can get more details here.
When Stopping Practice Makes You Better
Box This Lap looks at the interesting phenomena of how the brain doesn’t shut down when you get out of the car and how this can make you a better sim racer. “There is a strange sensation almost magical that many virtual pilots, musicians, and athletes have experienced at some point: you practice, you stop, you sleep… and when you come back, you are better. Not just a little more focused. Truly better. Smoother. More consistent. As if your brain had kept training without you.”
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
This Feels Too Real to Be a Simulator…
- Cooler Master Brings Dyn-X Racing Simulators to the Rolex 24 at Daytona (Morningstar)
- Why the Simucube 3 marks the start of a new generation (Traxion)
- The best sim racing cockpits (Box This Lap)
- Pimax Officially Becomes the Official VR Sponsor of iRacing (Box This Lap)
General Sim Racing News
RIDE 6 – 15 Things You Absolutely Need To Know Before You Buy
- RENNSPORT expands its calendar with the Road Atlanta Short Course (Box This Lap)
- Assetto Corsa Rally 0.3: Monte Carlo Rally, two stages and two cars (Box This Lap)
- I Just Won an Aston Martin Vulcan Racing the New Gran Turismo 7 Challenges (Autoevolution)
- Gran Turismo 7’s First Update of 2026 is Coming Next Week, With Three New Performance Cars (GT Planet)
- GRID Legends: Deluxe Edition Review (Switch 2) (Nintendo Life)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects. 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.
