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 a racing team that transitions elite sim racers into the real world, bypassing the traditional financial roadblocks. 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.”