Less than 24 hours after Max Verstappen collected his F1 trophy in Rwanda, the four-time Formula One world champion is sitting with Mail Sport at the back of a convention center in Madrid.
Just meters away, in a custom-built Heineken Player 0.0 stadium at the GAMERGY gaming festival, 18 elite sim racers from around the world take part in a virtual race around the Zandvoort circuit to determine the Player 0.0 Global Champion .
Much has been documented about Verstappen’s love of sim racing, with a simulator in his motorhome. In May, he used it to win two races in 24 hours, winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola for Red Bull and the virtual Nurburgring 24 Hours for the Redline team, alongside a team of four.
“It’s basically a racing machine, so it’s not unusual for it to do that,” said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Two months later, Verstappen was reported to have been told to pull the plug on late-night gaming sessions during race weekends after stuttering to a fifth-place finish at the Hungarian Grand Prix, although the Dutchman insisted there was nothing wrong. what to worry about. So, is it just a hobby or part of your routine?
“Honestly, it keeps me on my toes,” Verstappen tells Mail Sport. ‘In my opinion, you are doing the same as F1. Of course, hitting the wall doesn’t hurt, but everything else in terms of overtaking, defense, pit stops, strategy and work on the setup – there are many similarities with sim racing. Naturally, I like to win in real life, but also in the virtual world,” adds the 27-year-old.
It’s no secret that Formula One world champion Max Vertstappen is a big esports fan.
Verstappen attended a GAMERGY event in Madrid to watch the Heineken Player 0.0 Global Final
It is accepted that it will never stimulate the senses in exactly the same way, but in addition, Verstappen considers it crucial to his routine. He was even racing at 4am before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix earlier this year and there are many stories on social media of people racing against him virtually.
It reminds me of stories of people who played chess online with Mohamed Salah, who admits he is addicted and plays regularly on Chess.com.
For Verstappen, who has attracted a lot of attention to the esports niche through his sim racing exploits, it also offers an opportunity to make motorsports more accessible. It says something that he is determined to make the trip from Kigali directly to this particular event.
“If you look at the real world of racing, it is mainly dominated by a few countries,” says Verstappen. ‘In a competition like this, it doesn’t matter what part of the world you are from. Everything is possible. That’s why it’s great to see all of these countries represented. It gives you the opportunity to be competitive from wherever you are in the world,” he adds.
All the drivers in Madrid are from different countries and the majority of attendees at this video game and esports festival are young adults. More than two-thirds of the esports audience is made up of older young adults, while there are emerging activations from organizations such as Heineken (promoting its non-alcoholic beer) and LaLiga for skincare brands such as Garnier and CeraVe. A day earlier, both Carlos Puyol and Luis Figo played a soccer match against two prominent Twitch streamers at the event, half of which was played virtually on EA Sports FC 25 and the other half on a real soccer field.
Verstappen also actively views sim racing as a way to discover the next talent in motorsport, with the Player 0.0 contest using a bespoke mobile game as an entry point into the competition.
‘Ultimately, that’s the goal (to find the next motorsport talent). We are all working on that together and I really hope that in the future something positive comes out of it,” insists Verstappen.
His enthusiasm for racing is such that he is interested in getting to know each of his personal drivers, among whom the Slovenian Jernej Dovzan stands out.
Verstappen pictured (second from right) posing for a photo with the finalists in Madrid.
For Verstappen, now a four-time world champion who has just finished his tenth season in F1, there is still the belief that there is much more to be gained, whether in person or on a screen.
His tally of 63 victories is still 42 behind Lewis Hamilton with 105 and he needs to win three more world titles to equal Hamilton and Michael Schumacher with seven championships, but he emphasizes that, more than anything, it is the love of the sport that keeps him going. . motivated.
‘Enjoyment keeps me going. I really enjoy what I’m doing. Of course, I’m happy with the races we’re winning (at Red Bull) and the championships, but at the end of the day, what needs to motivate you is that you can look in the mirror and tell yourself that you’re still giving 100 percent. and enjoy what you are doing, says Verstappen.
As long as that love remains, the man who seems to eat, sleep and breathe running will run when and where he can.
Max Verstappen spoke at the Heineken Player 0.0 stadium at the GAMERGY gaming festival.