Max Verstappen has often demonstrated that his exceptional abilities are not merely the product of his natural talent but rather the result of his hard work and intense love for motorsports. For instance, where other drivers would turn to more conventional ways of relaxing themselves in the pastime, like traveling and meditation, the Dutchman immerses himself in the realm of sim racing. Interestingly, Verstappen is an avid virtual racer besides being the owner and occasional competitor of ‘Team Redline.’ While competing in sim racing, the 26-year-old drives his car with the same accuracy and expertise as if it were on a real race track. However, according to the recent updates, his passion for sim racing has reportedly reached an all-time high.
According to X (formerly Twitter), Max Verstappen’s pal, Crane, revealed that although the Dutchman is at home, he is not competing with his regular rig setup. Crane said, “Today Max is not on his rig even though he’s at home. He actually got himself a stand and a wheel to take with him to go to races. He’s been practicing with that, so he’s good when he goes to Australia.”
crane: “today max is not on his rig eventhough hes at home, he actually got himself a stand and a wheel to take with him to go to races. and hes been practicing with that so hes good when he goes to australia.”
this guy omfg pic.twitter.com/SppST9R1rP
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) March 11, 2024
In other words, Verstappen no longer uses his entire racing setup, called the “rig.” Instead, the three-time F1 champion uses the stand and wheel (controller) that he can also carry with him to race weekends. This shows Verstappen’s sheer commitment.
Max Verstappen explains his approach to Sim Racing
Max Verstappen won comfortably last Saturday at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix by a margin of over 13 seconds. Considering that he doesn’t need to exert additional effort to win the races, the Dutchman often enjoys a lot of free time. While he certainly makes use of the downtime to hone his craft, his approach is a little different.
According to Planet F1, Verstappen was up till the early hours of Saturday to prepare himself for the Grand Prix in Jeddah by engaging in sim racing. Nevertheless, this wasn’t enough for the 26-year-old as he claimed that after waking up, he still had an hour to spare. As a result, he got on his Xbox and started sim racing again with his pals.
While many may consider this to be careless on his part, the Dutchman has a good reason for following such a sleep schedule. Verstappen revealed that his sleep cycle is such that it allows him to follow the European schedule.
Moreover, Verstappen added that he uses gaming as a way to unwind himself from the exterior pressure. He said, “It’s a bit of, unwinding. I mean, I don’t have a rig here, I’m driving on my controller, you know. So, it’s just fun. Not having to think about Formula 1 and just be with people that you know – friends.”
