Max Verstappen Considers Designing Next Home Around Advanced Sim Rig
Max Verstappen is contemplating designing his next house to incorporate a significantly larger and more advanced racing simulator, inspired by Red Bull's professional rig. The four-time F1 champion views simulator work as crucial for performance, using it for extensive setup correlation and race drills. This ambition highlights his deep commitment to virtual racing, which he believes directly enhances his real-world driving skills and has even influenced motorsport licensing criteria.
Max Verstappen has revealed that his next house might be designed specifically to accommodate a significantly larger and more advanced racing simulator setup. This ambition is inspired by the professional-grade rig he utilizes at Oracle Red Bull Racing’s Milton Keynes base.
Why it matters:
Max Verstappen, a four-time F1 champion, views simulator work not just as a routine task but as a crucial element for performance enhancement. His dedication to sim racing, both professionally with Red Bull and personally with Team Redline, highlights the increasing integration of virtual and real-world racing. This move could further blur the lines between simulation and reality, potentially setting a new standard for driver training and home setups in motorsport.
The Details:
- Podcast Revelation: Speaking on the Securing the Win podcast, Verstappen admitted he's contemplating designing his future home around an upgraded sim rig, drawing inspiration from Red Bull's professional setup.
- Crucial Role of Simulators: Team simulators and their software are central to how F1 teams develop and perform throughout the season. Drivers like Verstappen and Yuki Tsunoda spend extensive time on these rigs.
- Intensive Routine: Verstappen dedicates long hours to the team's simulator, working on various setups, correlation studies, and race drills before and after Grand Prix weekends. He emphasizes that despite the occasional boredom, it's a "performance-enhancing exercise."
- Importance of Accuracy: He stressed the importance of a "super-accurate simulator with very good simulator drivers" to provide feedback on setup directions, especially when unexpected track conditions or car issues arise during a race weekend.
- Home vs. Team Rig: While he doesn't use a full motion platform at home due to size and noise constraints, he highlights that "it's all about the software that you're using and how accurate that is." He acknowledges that replicating g-forces is challenging, making software precision paramount.
- Professional Sim Racer: Outside of F1, Verstappen is a highly accomplished sim racer, leading Team Redline to major victories in iRacing events like the Bathurst 12 Hours and Daytona 24. He recently completed a clean sweep of iRacing's 24-hour special events in 2024.
- Real-World Correlation: Verstappen has consistently argued for the direct correlation between sim work and real-world performance, demonstrated by his GT3 race debut win at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with sim teammate Chris Lulham. This success has even influenced Germany's motorsport federation to ease Nordschleife license applications for sim racers.
What's next:
Verstappen's consideration of a custom-designed home around an advanced sim rig underscores a growing trend in motorsport where virtual practice and real-world performance are increasingly intertwined. As simulation technology continues to advance, we could see more drivers investing in high-fidelity personal setups, further refining their skills off-track and bringing a new dimension to their preparation for Formula 1 and beyond. This could cement the simulator as an indispensable tool, not just for professional teams, but for individual drivers aiming for peak performance.