There has long been a discussion about sim racers transitioning to real-world racing in F1 and other categories. While their skills in virtual racing are undeniable, many sim drivers struggle to adapt to the physical demands of driving an actual race car. To bridge this gap, Red Bull is offering its sim drivers the opportunity to test their F1 cars, providing them with invaluable real-world experience.
Recently, the Austrian team put one of their champion sim racers, Sebastian Job in their championship-winning RB8 from the 2012 season. This was the same car in which Sebastian Vettel pulled off an incredible comeback (a 40-point deficit to Fernando Alonso) to win his third consecutive world championship.
The Race reported that Job drove the RB8 in a series of short runs around the Red Bull ring in Spielberg, Austria. Job has already done simulator work for Red Bull and its sister team RB this season, including ahead of the final race in Abu Dhabi.
Red Bull has put one of its sim racers Sebastian Job in a #F1 car.
Here’s everything you need to know pic.twitter.com/JGT6JkH2ob
— The Race (@wearetherace) December 16, 2024
Despite being a two-time iRacing champion, Job went through some rigorous training and coaching to prepare for his F1 test run before jumping in Vettel‘s 2012 machinery. He first drove a Porsche Supercup car, then steadily leveled up to try out a Formula 4 and a Formula Renault 3.5 car.
Job also had to undergo some G-force training at Red Bull‘s Salzburg facility to get accustomed to the high G-forces while driving an F1 car.
Will F1 see drivers from a sim-racing background?
F1 hasn’t seen a sim racer become a full-time driver in the sport to date. Given it has leveled up a lot in recent years and is not just considered gaming anymore, there is a high possibility someone will come through that route to become a part of the grid in the coming years.
Sim racers often help F1 teams while testing on simulators to gather data and improve their car’s performance. So, they have all the understanding of the steering controls and the overall setup of an F1 car. It is mainly about whether they adapt and match the speeds and demands of real-life racing, as several on-track aspects cannot be simulated virtually.
Max Verstappen, who is an avid sim racer himself, talks highly of how simulator racing can help a driver improve his/her skill sets. The Dutchman has been advocating for professional sim racers to be allowed to transition into real race cars.
Perhaps Red Bull’s test run for Job could kickstart this trend among other F1 teams as well.
