Max Verstappen starting from the back of the grid doesn’t worry fans of the Dutchman anymore. In F1, he has won from as low as 14th on the grid, so his victory in Miami from P9 wasn’t his most spectacular drive, which says volumes about Verstappen. However, when it comes to competitive sim-racing, Verstappen kicks it up a notch.
Verstappen is the most avid sim racer among anyone else in the F1 grid currently. During a streaming session recently, the Red Bull star surprised everyone in the lobby, as he made up fifteen places in just one lap. Yes, fifteen! The clip of Verstappen annihilating everyone on track was shared on the YouTube channel, F1 Shorts.
Verstappen, who often streams his races, was in the middle of one such session where he had to start a virtual stock car race from P17 on the grid. An unfazed Verstappen, confidently launched from his spot, overtaking four cars within seconds.
Max Verstappen declared the Virtual Le Mans 24 Hour sim racing event a “clown show” after his team lost a likely victory 18 hours into the race.
With two red flags and a handful of drivers disconnecting, do you think it’s time for Le Mans Virtual to be moved to a different Sim? pic.twitter.com/nNP6B38heW
— SimStaff (@sim_staff) January 17, 2023
As the rest of the lap progressed, the other people in the lobby and on his server watched in disbelief as he destroyed everyone to move up to P2 in under just one lap. This shows how good a driver Verstappen actually is, whether it’s in the real or the virtual world.
Disappointing qualifying session can’t stop Max Verstappen
Verstappen’s most recent outing in F1, at the Miami GP, didn’t go off to the best start. He made a mistake in qualifying, that prevented him from improving on his time after Charles Leclerc’s crash in the closing stages of Q3. As a result, he started the race from P9 but that didn’t have him worried at all.
Within just 20 laps, Verstappen took the lead of the race, and managed his tyres wonderfully, as a part of an alternative strategy that help him win his third race of the season. Despite his teammate Sergio Perez starting from pole, it was Verstappen who took P1, finishing ahead of the Mexican driver.
Sim racing helps Verstappen focus
F1 drivers have plenty of hobbies when they aren’t suiting up for a race. Leclerc likes playing the piano whereas Verstappen’s old rival Lewis Hamilton immerses himself in the world of fashion.
Max Verstappen ‘keeping sharp’ with sim racing
“What else can you do at this moment, you have to stay inside?”https://t.co/CmXnlqVHD6 #F1 pic.twitter.com/qAObRLXCMI
— PlanetF1 (@Planet_F1) March 19, 2020
Verstappen, however, racing is what he chooses to associate himself with, even when it is not in the real world.The 25-year-old spends hours on his simulator, when not racing in F1 and according to him, it helps him focus and stay ready ahead of an actual race weekend.
