F1 News: Max Verstappen Defends His Late Night Sim Racing Before Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Max is an absolute machine!

Max Verstappen has revealed his unique way of unwinding before races, and unsurprisingly, it involves more racing—through his E-sports team, Team Redline. This revelation came after he was spotted sim-racing at an unconventional hour before the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Key Takeaways:

• Unconventional Relaxation: Unlike typical athletes who might choose quieter activities to relax, Max Verstappen finds his solace in sim-racing, engaging in virtual races like the 24 Hours of Daytona with his E-sports team, Team Redline.
• Late Night Sessions: Verstappen was seen participating in online racing on the sim-racing game iRacing, streaming live at four in the morning local time on the day of an actual race, showcasing his dedication to both his passions and his team.
• Rationale Behind the Routine: Verstappen explains his late-night gaming as a way to stay connected with his team and friends, maintain a familiar schedule aligned more closely with European time, and take a mental break from the pressures of Formula 1.

More often than not, drivers will use their off time to decompress and mentally prepare for the gruelling racing ahead. Sometimes this involves high-adrenaline sports or maybe even cycling in Valtteri Bottas' case. 

However, for Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, the concept of relaxation diverges from conventional norms. Rather than distancing himself from the racing milieu, Verstappen delves into the digital domain of sim-racing on iRacing. As the owner and an occasional competitor for Team Redline, his own E-sports outfit, Verstappen harnesses sim-racing not only as a tool for unwinding but also as a unique conduit to foster connections within a vibrant community beyond the Formula 1 circus.

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Verstappen's approach to relaxation came to light when he he was found to be racing at 4am the morning of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Doing this at such an hour before only the second race of the season obviously raised eyebrows as his preparation and focus for the upcoming real-world race were questioned.

Responding to this, Verstappen said: 

"I just stayed a bit on European or even UK schedule, so I would go to bed at 4 a.m wake up late… The thing is, of course, also, I have my own sim team, so naturally I'm just catching up with them a bit. It's a bit of just unwinding as well.

"I mean, I don't have a rig here. I'm driving on my controller, so it's just fun. Just not having to think about Formula 1 and just be with people that are friends. Whenever I can, I do it."

Many have wondered whether Max's sim-racing experience has benefitted his real life on-track performance. And while he mostly races sports cars on his sim-rig, I don't doubt for a second that the race craft honed and strategies formulated on the screen help him manage his racing for in the RB20. 

There you have it, kids. Want to be the next Max Verstappen? Tell your parents it's actually a good idea for you to stay up late playing video games. Just ask Max.