Red Bull star reveals SIM RACING verdict on drivers

Prospective Formula 1 drivers have been given a warning about sim racing, after Max Verstappen's habit of virtual-track driving.

The four-time world champion is one of the most successful F1 drivers in history well before he even turns 30 years ago, having achieved a quad-peat since Abu Dhabi 2021.

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Verstappen has been the one to beat in the pinnacle of motorsport since toppling much-loved British icon Lewis Hamilton off of the top spot during the controversial season finale in Abu Dhabi back in 2021 and has the potential to continue to dominate the pack for many years to come.

Alongside his undeniable racing talent, Verstappen's success in the sport could also be put down to how many hours he puts in on the sim, both professionally no doubt as all F1 drivers are expected to do but also for his own personal enjoyment through Esports events.

Verstappen's passion for sim racing has been well-documented and has even gotten him into trouble with his F1 bosses after he reportedly stayed up overnight to compete in a sim racing event the night before the Hungarian GP.

Opmeer delivers driver warning over Verstappen preparations

As an active promoter of sim racing, Verstappen's prolific activity in Esports has not gone unnoticed, with Red Bull sim racer Jarno Opmeer highlighting how he feels it has aided his success.

In an interview with Formule1.NL Opmeer was asked whether other F1 drivers should be delving into sim racing as much as Verstappen does, issuing a damning statement for the four-time champion's competitors.

"Certainly, I think that should be the case," he responded.

"Max is a bit of a founder in F1 in the field of sim racing. If they want to keep up with his level, they don’t really have much choice. Otherwise you just don’t get good enough."

"The younger generation has noticed this and can therefore be found regularly on the virtual asphalt. I sometimes race with iRacing, and there you also see the guys who drive at the top of Formula 2, such as Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoletto and Kimi Antonelli."

It seems the Red Bull racer may be on to something, given that all of the above former F2 drivers have now secured seats with an F1 team for the 2025 season, with perhaps the most impressive signing being Kimi Antonelli, who will replace seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes.

Opmeer continued with a rather brutal assessment of the feeder series racers, stating: "The drivers who perform less well in F2, I rarely encounter them in the virtual world. Look, it won't be just because of that, but then you see that certain drivers do more for it and are willing to do more for it."

"Another big added benefit of the extra meters on the sim, according to Opmeer, is that the drivers are exposed to many more situations, which means they can anticipate them more quickly in the real world.

"Plus your technical knowledge simply increases. You learn to understand all the setup options, what it does, how it feels. That is simply very good to learn. You may not need that for Formula 4, but you do in the subsequent classes."

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