Why Toto Wolff thinks sim training is important headlines this week’s edition of the Sim Racing Roundup. Not only does he feel it is important for F1 drivers, but he also feels it is crucial for all race drivers. I also have the inspiring story of sim racer turned real-life pro Suellio Almeida, the latest tech reviews, sim racing advice and more!
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
Toto Wolff has been extremely impressed with how his seven-year old son has integrated a simulator into his real-world karting after experiencing one of his recent track sessions. “My son is seven years old. He has a kart simulator at home. He races against others online,” Wolff explained. “There are four relevant tracks in Italy. He had never driven on one of them. But he knew it from the simulator.”
He feels that simulator training should be part of every driver’s development regime, not just F1 drivers. “Wolff pointed out that simulator training should be a key part of every driver’s preparation considering the high-end graphics and realism “from the start to the crash.” It allows drivers to “experience everything” virtually, equipping them with valuable skills for real-world racing scenarios.”
Sim racer Suellio Almeida has taken his passion for sim racing and expanded it into real-world motorsport, winning the 2024 Radical North America Championship and recently signing with Bryan Herta Autosport to compete in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. With his first IMSA race taking place last weekend, the videos above are great inspiration for those of you wanting to move from sim racing to a real-world track.
The video above is well worth watching even if it is in German. Here is the translated text accompanying the video.
Without a driver-in-the-loop simulator, nothing works in professional motorsports like Formula 1 these days! Motorsport Magazine was able to take a seat in AVL’s simulator, do a few virtual laps around the Red Bull Ring and find out how today’s F1 stars and tomorrow’s superstars prepare for a Grand Prix weekend.
There were also insights into the hardware, the software and the secret weapon: a connection from the simulator directly to the entire vehicle test bench, on which a real racing car can be driven via the simulator!
Ellen Lohr, Director Motorsport at AVL RACETECH, and Michael Peinsitt. Head of Race Engineering will give you insights into the technology behind the simulator. And our expert Christian Danner will tell you in a guest appearance how our Christian fared behind the wheel in the simulator.
Autosport has a great feature on sim racer and real-world race driver Igor Fraga as he reboots his career in 2025 after a number of setbacks.
Conquering the championship now called Formula Regional Oceania in 2020 against future Formula 1 aces appeared to have set Igor Fraga on the road to stardom. Factors beyond his control put his F1 dreams on ice, but the Esports ace has rebooted his career and is now back on the single-seater trail in Super Formula.
Read the profile on Autosport here.
Assetto Corsa EVO vs. Competizione Side-By-Side Comparison | Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) @ Imola GP
Competitive Sim Racing News
- iRacing: Introducing NASCAR 25 (Box This Lap)
- 2025 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series roster confirmed following 2025 Free Agency (iRacing)
- Legendary Gaming Group expands into sim racing, opens new HQ (Esports Insider)
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
- The Importance of Learning Telemetry for Sim Racers (Motorsport Prospects)
- You need to actually have a plan to practice when you’re sim racing (Apex Advisory)
- Static References, Dynamic Driving (Apex Advisory)
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
- SIMLYTE Introduces the Most Scientifically Advanced Sim Racing Chassis (Yahoo)
- Moza Racing FSR2 (Game Reactor)
- A Pro-Sim Sequential Shifter Review: What You Need to Know (Hackernoon)
- Next Level Racing presents the new FIA licensed Elite Reclining Seats (Box This Lap)
General Sim Racing News
- Assetto Corsa EVO: Gran Turismo-Killer Potential (Box This Lap)
- The Last Garage is the platform of choice for the next eROC (Traxion)
- Tokyo Xtreme Racer Early Access impressions: A blast from the past (Traxion)
- Tokyo Xtreme Racer plays surprisingly well on Steam Deck (Traxion)
- Tokyo Xtreme Racer Early Access delayed in Canada over “legal issue” (Traxion)
- Former rFactor 2 lead teases Richard Burns Rally spiritual successor (Traxion)
- Over the Hill is an off-road adventure game from the creator of Art of Rally (Traxion)
- The Last Garage and Heusinkveld will help create Donkervoort’s next car (Traxion)
- Gran Turismo 7’s next update features four wildly different cars (Traxion)
- 9 Racing Games To Get Excited About In 2025 (Car Throttle)
- Open-world racer JDM: Japanese Drift Master secures March release (Traxion)
- Forza Horizon 5’s Midnight Muscle could be its last major update (Traxion)
- This Week in iRacing: January 28-February 3, 2025 (iRacing)
- Forza Motorsport will add a “fan favourite” track in May (Traxion)
- Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown is getting a new PC anti-cheat system (Traxion)
- EA SPORTS WRC update adds livery select options, extended Rally Pass (Traxion)
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.
