Max Verstappen has already immersed himself in the world of racing, weeks before the 2024 F1 season gets underway. The Dutchman enrolled himself for Team Redline and decided to take part in the Real Racers Never Quit series, a series of sim-races. However, Verstappen is not the lone warrior here as Aston Martin young gun Felipe Drugovich will be with him.
Verstappen, who is a racing nerd, joined Drugovich and Co. to race in six sim races from January 16 to February 9. The event started on January 16th and there will be more races on – 23rd January, 30th January and 9th February. The first race that took place on the 16th, was held at Daytona, using virtual GT-3 cars. All the races will all be broadcasted on Team Redline’s Twitch channel, as reported by F1 Maximal.
The races are taking place well before the new F1 season arrives as some of the drivers involved here need to get back to pre-season for their respective teams. Other than Verstappen, Drugovich has an important role to play at Aston Marin. He joined the team as the development driver upon winning the F2 Championship in 2022, and acts as an understudy to Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Thierry Vermeulen joins Max Verstappen along with Felipe Drugovich
There were many other drivers who took part in the Real Racers Never Quit initiative such as Thierry Vermeulen, Job van Uitert, and Rudy van Buren. Vermeulen, is the most famous of this lot, being the son of Verstappen’s manager Raymond. As a result, he is closely associated with the three-time F1 champion, who helps him closely with his racing career.
In the winter-break, Verstappen even arrived and mentored his young compatriot in Portugal in the GT3 category. Through his own venture – Verstappen.com racing – the 26-year-old is looking to help many grow in motorsports, including Thierry Vermeulen.
How is Verstappen related to Vermeulen’s racing career?
Thierry Vermeulen is a talented driver who came into the news because of his association with Verstappen. He is the son of Verstappen’s manager Raymond Vermeulen but their relationship goes beyond that.
The Red Bull driver is also a sponsor for Vermeulen, who races for Emil Frey Racing in the Deutsche Tourwagen Masters (DTM). Apart from this, Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, is the driving coach for Vermeulen. Together, they want to help him excel in the world of motorsports.
As the month of February approaches, Verstappen is gearing up to defend his title for the third season in a row. The pressure is high, because rivals are beginning to close up to him.
