Did YOU beat F1 world champion Max Verstappen? The Dutchman reveals he spent $35,000 on a virtual racing setup and is now taking to simulations and racing against strangers.

Max Verstappen is best known as Red Bull’s Formula 1 world champion, but that’s not the only area of ​​racing he dominates.

The Dutch driver proved unstoppable last year and is already crushing his competitors this season.

But when Verstappen isn’t strapped to a 1,000 BHP rocket, he’s at home defeating all comers on the virtual race track in his state-of-the-art simulator that no one else is allowed to touch.

Simulation racing is more popular than ever, and gamers around the world are investing in wheels, pedals, and cockpits to get the most realistic driving experience possible.

Over the past 20 years, gaming technology has advanced at a rapid pace, with virtual racing becoming one of the most realistic gaming experiences available.

Verstappen’s state-of-the-art racing simulation setup is said to cost more than $35,000.

Verstappen is so addicted to racing that he even takes a racing vehicle with him to some Formula 1 tracks.

“I’m building a new campervan to travel around Europe to the F1 races and I said I’d put one up there because I can still drive when I come back in the evening,” said he said in an interview with Autosport last year. .

“Because I like it, it’s my hobby in a way, and it also keeps you sharp.” There were even rumors, which Verstappen later denied, that he had a racing simulator installed in his $15 million private jet.

As a lifelong racing fan, Verstappen has naturally invested in several home rigs that would make even the most dedicated gamer envious.

Verstappen’s cutting-edge racing simulation setup – estimated to cost more than $35,000 – includes a custom-made steering wheel that is almost 10 times more powerful than the models most players use.

Verstappen uses four huge curved monitors to create his virtual cockpit and display key race information. It also has under-seat bass shakers and even immersive wind machines complete its expensive setup.

Verstappen is regularly seen on his own account and his second (named after his father Jos) performing lap after lap on the iRacing platform at a competitive pace with the world’s best sim drivers.

He was even racing at 4 a.m. before the Saudi Grand Prix earlier this year. So while you can beat the virtual Max Verstappen in F1 24 this summer, you can also try your hand at beating the real deal on iRacing.

Asked about it, Verstappen said: “It’s just fun not having to think about Formula 1 and just being with people you know. Whenever I can, I do it.

Verstappen has joined his sim racing team, Redline, in high-profile esports races, but he’s also just taken to open lobbies where anyone can race against him.

Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Japanese F1 Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka, Japan on April 7, 2024.

One Reddit user said: “I scored a top 10 in a lobby including Max Verstappen!! …It’s so cool that this is a thing in sim racing. …I didn’t really run with him because he was long gone!’

As a seasoned sim driver and one of the most talented drivers in the world, Verstappen regularly ranks at the top of the iRacing rankings.

He takes it so seriously that he has competed alongside his esports team in races like the iRacing 24 Hours of Daytona.

Verstappen even expressed his frustration during the virtual 2023 24 Hours of Le Mans when server issues forced him out of the race.

His anger-fueled speech was similar to his Formula 1 radio messages as he encouraged his viewers to uninstall the game.

“Honestly, it’s a joke. You can’t even call it an event. It’s a clown show,” he said on Twitch. “It’s a shame for all the effort we put in as a team.”

Max’s dedication to the world of virtual racing may seem strange when he makes $55 million a year with Red Bull, but the physics of some racing games are so precise that they can essentially serve as a training tool, even for the best drivers in the world.

“I don’t see it as a game. Of course, I have my own sim racing team, and when I see the effort we put in before doing a race, I think it’s very professional,” said he declared in an interview with GPblog.

“I believe there are opportunities for sim drivers to get into real racing, it’s also something I’m working on myself to make it a possibility for them.”

As a seasoned sim driver and one of the most talented drivers in the world, Verstappen regularly tops the iRacing rankings.

Verstappen’s predictions have already come true, with several sim racing drivers moving into real-world motorsport.

In 2022, Turkish driver Cem Bolukbasi competed in Formula 2, Formula 1’s feeder series, after making his debut in the Formula 1 Esports Series.

Current F1 Esports champion Lucas Blakeley even beat four-time F1 champion Sebastian Vettel in the 2022 Race of Champions.

Jann Mardenborough also rose to fame after winning GT Academy 2011, a competition turning Gran Turismo players into professional racing drivers. His story was adapted into a feature film in 2023.

Luckily, you don’t need the bank account of an F1 champion to enjoy sim racing, with high-quality racing wheels available for just £250.