“A Switch Is Possible”: Max Verstappen Reveals Post F1 Plans as $421,000 Venture Becomes Pathbreaker in Motorsport

The 2023 F1 season belongs to Max Verstappen and team Red Bull. With a win in 13 of the 16 races this season, Verstappen has an air of unstoppable madness around him. He has not finished below P5 on a Grand Prix Sunday. That’s the brilliance of the Red Bull driver this year.

But the reigning world champion not only dominates the grid in the real world, he has also risen through the ranks in the virtual reality of sim racing. Unlike the other drivers on the grid, Max Verstappen can often be found streaming virtual racing during his off-time and summer breaks. Having joined Team Redline in 2015, he has made a home in the top 0.5% of the racers online. Having won many titles like Porsche E-Sports Supercup Champions and Le Mans Virtual 2021, the sim-racing team has a net worth of 421,000 USD.

Max Verstappen carries his F1 dominance off-track

Verstappen has confessed his love and passion for Sim Racing on many occasions. Speaking to Formule1, he explained how his adoration for the e-sport came to be. “It all started with Team Redline’s sim racing. A lot of people still think that sim racing is not professional, but it is very serious and I spend a lot of hours getting everything done and trying to beat everyone.”

A sim racing venture founded about 20 years ago, Max Verstappen proudly boasts of its advantages. The Red Bull driver believes that sim-racing can be an effective way to build a ‘lovely’ motorsport career. He reiterates, “And the point is that I can create a stepping stone from sim racing to the GT3 so that you don’t only end up in motorsport via karting, because that costs a ridiculous amount of money at the moment.” The Dutchman added, “Sim-racing is a lot cheaper compared karting. And of course such a switch is possible. It has also happened before, but it has never really worked out well for certain reasons. I believe that, if you approach everything very professionally, you can really build a beautiful motorsport career from sim racing.”

Among the motorsport community, sim racing is considered to be the highest form of motor racing. Having participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, Verstappen believes that if one approaches everything carefully, a switch to a professional sim racing career is attainable.

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Speaking to Formule1, Verstappen shared his plans to race in the GT3 with the sports cars. He aspires to headline the racing event with his own team. He has already begun with Verstappen.com Racing, a consulting venture for aspiring racers.

Sim-racing keeps racers on their toes

The two-time world champion claims that sim-racing is not only a good alternative to karting, it also helps him in F1. In simulator racing, the drivers are not F1 drivers. The cars are not F1 cars. The physics is slightly different. Additionally, the driving style needs to be flexible. However, the Dutch driver feels that his simulator cannot replace the G-forces of an F1 car.

Verstappen elaborates, “You have to be adaptive and change your driving style since every car demands something else as far as steering input, throttle and driving lines.” He claims that this ability helps him in drawing inspiration for his Formula 1 setup. Although, in Formula 1, Verstappen has dominated all the racing formats, his zeal to improve is prodigious.

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A form of virtual reality bridging the gap between motorsports and e-sports, Max Verstappen has only good things to say about Simulator Racing. Many would agree that it provides an equal and low-cost opportunity to racers all over the world. What are your thoughts on sim-racing?