Can sim drivers make the shift to F1? Max Verstappen thinks so

Motorsports have long been a pay-to-play arena, with young drivers spending thousands of dollars just to get started in karting. Four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen knows this all too well, but he also sees a way to change it through sim racing, a virtual form of car racing that closely replicates real-world racing.

It’s maybe less crazy than it sounds. The sport has evolved into a serious proving ground for talent, with detailed setups and tire management — minus the crushing financial barrier. In fact, Verstappen, a passionate sim racer himself, believes the best virtual drivers deserve a shot in real cars.

His ultimate vision, he tells The Athletic, is creating his own racing team, one that merges elite sim racers with traditional racers. While sim drivers lack experience with G-forces, Verstappen thinks training and the right coaching can bridge the gap. He says sim racing has improved his own driving, and vice versa.

“Everyone always thinks that it’s just a game and it’s fun, easy going,” Verstappen tells the outlet, “but I would say the competition is just as hard, or even harder, to nail — to win — than in real life.”