[Video] Max Verstappen is as good at esports as F1 | GRR
What does Max Verstappen do when he’s not flinging Formula 1 cars around the finest racetracks on the globe? Well he flings GT3 cars around the finest tracks on the globe… virtually.
Like so many racers these days Red Bull F1 driver Verstappen is well established as a fan of esports, taking part in numerous events with fellow F1 driver Lando Norris, particularly on iRacing. He has, several times, worked with esports outfit Team Redline to take part in the flagship events of the iRacing season, which ape the ones in real life.
The great thing about this is that, while we’ll probably not get to see Max racing in anything other than an F1 car for contractual reasons for a good decade or so, we are able to see him racing a variety of cars in the digital world.
Which brings us to today’s Elevenses, a high-speed onboard with the ten-time Grand Prix winner around the legendary twists and turns of the Mount Panorama course at Bathurst. The annual 12 Hour GT race had to be cancelled in 2021 due to the ongoing restrictions on travel into and out of Australia, but thanks to iRacing, we were still able to have a Bathurst 12 Hour race, in fact several of them, for GT3 cars.
Verstappen took part in one of the races, which are separated by ability, with Team Redline, in an Audi R8 GT3 and, almost predictably, stuck his car on pole. This lap is that mighty pole lap, which showcases the blistering pace Max has on iRacing. While iRacing’s graphics are perhaps not the best in the sim racing world, the night-time setting and the camera angle make this a properly exhilarating ride, even though we’re not inside a car on the actual circuit. It serves as a pretty good replacement for the videos we would have seen from the real life 12.
Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a mid-morning helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Ferrari F1 car howls round Daytona