Max Verstappen Hosts F1 Sim Racing Spectacle in Madrid: Heineken Player 0.0

Alex Harrington | 5 Hours Ago

Max Verstappen joins the top-3 players from Player 0.0 / Heineken

The four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen led an exciting sim racing event at the GAMERGY gaming festival in Madrid today. The Heineken Player 0.0 Global Final brought together eighteen elite sim racers from various countries for the challenge of their lives set on the iconic Zandvoort racetrack. The event not only celebrated the players' skills behind the sim-racing wheel but also the strong message behind the event: The Best Driver is the One Who is Not Drinking.

The GAMERGY Esports & Gaming Festival, held annually at IFEMA Madrid, is a gorgeous venue for gaming and esports located close to the city's airport. This year's event was a little different to some, however, as the quadruply-crowned Verstappen joined the sim racers on stage.

Heineken Player 0.0 / Heineken

With a strong passion for sim racing himself with more hours than he'd like to admit to on his own rig, the Dutch driver helped host the event, being his naturally funny self in front of the Spanish crowds. Reflecting on the event, Verstappen said the following:

"It's incredible to see the passion and dedication of these racers. Player 0.0 continues to showcase the importance of skill, focus, and making the right choices—not just in racing, but in life."

The competition, which served as the culmination of an extensive series of challenges across twenty countries, celebrated its ultimate victory with Jernej Dovžan from Slovakia being crowned the Player 0.0 Global Champion. A brilliant battle for first between the Slovakian and his rival for the final race, Japanese player Yuki Okonogi, saw the two tussle around the tight tarmac of a virtual Zandvoort in front of a packed colosseum of viewers. Once the race was over, the top 3 were handed their trophies by the Max, himself.

This came after months of rigorous competition, which began with a bespoke mobile game designed by Heineken to attract a diverse roster of entrants. The competition then evolved into a race of skill on an F1 simulator. After qualifying, the top five drivers were separated by a mere second.

Max Verstappen walks onto stage of a packed event. / Heineken

Heineken's Player 0.0 initiative is intricately linked to their "When You Drive, Never Drink" campaign - something that unsurprisingly pairs perfectly with F1. As Natacha Volpini, Heineken's Global Head of Digital Consumer Innovation, elaborated: "This year's Player 0.0 Final reflects our dedication to blending innovation, responsibility, and entertainment. Through initiatives like this, we're reaching new audiences and inspiring responsible choices worldwide."

A titbit for you: Heineken 0.0 is truly an alcohol free beer, unlike some others which include trace amounts.

The significance of sim racing as a growing discipline in the esports landscape cannot be understated, especially with real-world champions like Verstappen lending their endorsement. And this event, and the crowd it created, proved this point.

As Heineken plans to expand the competition further in 2025, the initiative is set to engage even more people, continuing to advocate for responsible consumption through the ever-growing sport of sim racing.

We'll have more from the event in the coming days after I was able to sit down with Max to discuss his own sim racing career. Coming soon.