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

Over the last 20 years, gaming technology has advanced at a rapid rate, with virtual racing becoming one of the most life-like gaming experiences available.

Max Verstappen racing at the global final of Player 00 sim racing competition hosted at the Heineken Experience on December 6, 2023 in Amsterdam, Netherlands

Verstappen’s state-of-the-art sim racing setup is thought to cost upwards of $35,000

Verstappen is such a racing junkie that he even takes a racing rig with him to some Formula 1 tracks.

‘I’m building a new motorhome for travelling through Europe to the F1 races and I said I will install one there because I can just keep on driving when I’m back in the evening,’ he said in an interview with Autosport last year.

‘Because I like it, it’s my hobby in a way, and it just keeps you sharp as well.’ There were even rumours, which Verstappen later denied, that he’d had a sim racing rig put into his $15 million private jet.

As a lifelong racing fan, Verstappen has naturally invested in multiple at-home rigs that would make even the most dedicated of gamers envious.

Verstappen’s state-of-the-art sim racing setup – which is thought to cost upwards of $35,000 – features a custom-made steering wheel that is almost 10 times more powerful than the models most players use.

Verstappen uses four massive curved monitors to create his virtual cockpit & display key race information. He’s also got bass shakers under the seat and even immersive wind machines complete his pricy setup.

Verstappen is regularly seen on his own account and his second one (named after his father Jos) putting in lap after lap on the platform iRacing at a pace that is competitive with the best sim racers in the world.

He was even racing at 4am ahead of the Saudi Arabian 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.

When asked about it, Verstappen said: ‘It’s just fun not having to think about Formula 1 and just be with people that you know. Whenever I can, I do it.’

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

Max Verstappen celebrates after he wins the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka, Japan on April 7, 2024

One Reddit user said: ‘I managed 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 race him much as he was long gone!’

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

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

Verstappen even vented his frustration during the 2023 Virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans when server issues kicked him out of the race.

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

‘Honestly, it’s a joke. You cannot even call it an event. It’s a clown show,’ he vented on Twitch. ‘It’s a disgrace for all the effort we have put in as a team.’

Max’s devotion to the virtual racing world may seem weird when he is making $55 million a year with Red Bull, but the physics within some racing games is so accurate that it can basically be a training tool for even 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 that we put in you know before we do a race, I think it’s very professional,’ he said in an interview with GPblog.

‘I do believe that there are possibilities for sim drivers to move into real racing, that’s also something that I am working on myself to make that a possibility for them.’

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

Verstappen’s predictions have already come true, with several sim racers leaping real-life motorsport.

In 2022, Turkish racer Cem Bolukbasi competed in Formula 2, the feeder series for Formula 1, having got his start in the Formula 1 Esports Series.

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

Jann Mardenborough also shot to fame after winning the 2011 GT Academy, a competition transforming Gran Turismo gamers into professional racing drivers. His story was turned 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 as little as £250.