The prospect of sim-racers competing in real-world motorsports has always been a hot topic of debate.
Christian Horner and Max Verstappen (Via: Imago)
Racing has always been a high-end, exclusive sport. Even though racing is a dream, not everyone can afford to pursue it. Even F1 drivers have shared with us on numerous occasions about the sacrifices their parents had to make for them to continue racing. Since competing in sim racing doesn’t require a significant financial commitment, this is where it becomes relevant.
The virtual sport has become increasingly popular in recent years. Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion and owner of his own team, is attempting to give skilled sim racers more opportunities. Verstappen is creating these opportunities so that talented sim racers can drive real racing cars on real racetracks.
While speaking about the same with the media, Verstappen said,
I have my own team and when I see how much preparation we invest before a race, I find it very professional. It’s hard to explain, but a lot happens. I believe that sim racers can make it into real motorsport.
Max Verstappen said: Formel1.de
Even though Verstappen believes that sim racers can drive in real-life motorsports, there has always been a lot of debate as to whether sim racers can actually race in the real world. According to multiple critics, sim racers tend to lose touch with reality, as in real-life racing, one small mistake can end up costing a lot. It’s not as simple as clicking a button to restart the race again.
Unquestionably, Red Bull’s star athlete and current world champion, Max Verstappen, in recent years has proved invincible. The Dutchman appears to have no intention of slowing down with having won three world titles.
Damon Hill [L] Max Verstappen [R] (Via Imago)
He has started the ongoing season from where he left last year. However, according to Damon Hill, this will be the cause of rising problems at Red Bull.
The funny thing is, though, that it’s quite difficult to get that striving emotion. When you come second or you get beaten, you don’t like it, so you want to change that situation. There’s a lot of motivation to change. Whereas when you win, you kind of… I know that they will still be trying very hard to find improvements and gains because they’ll have to, but at the same time, where’s the motivation?
Damon Hill said: F1nation
Hill believes that Red Bull will loosen up after the constant wins, and wouldn’t want to make any changes. Verstappen has won both races in the 2024 season and it doesn’t seem like he will stop until he wins another world title. Red Bull has won pretty much everything since the dawn of the current F1 regulations and considering Hill’s comments, it will be fascinating to what the future holds for the Milton-Keynes-based team.
