In BriefPosted:4:43 PM PST February 16, 2025Image Credits:Clive Mason / Getty ImagesCan sim drivers make the shift to F1? Max Verstappen thinks soMotorsports have long been a pay-to-play arena, with young drivers spending thousands of dollars just to get started in karting. Four-time Formula One champion Max Verstappen knows this all too well, but he also sees a way to change it through sim racing, a virtual form of car racing that closely replicates real-world racing.Its maybe less crazy than it sounds. The sport has evolved into a serious proving ground for talent, with detailed setups and tire management minus the crushing financial barrier. In fact, Verstappen, a passionate sim racer himself, believes the best virtual drivers deserve a shot in real cars.His ultimate vision, he tells The Athletic, is a racing team that transitions elite sim racers into the real world, bypassing the traditional financial roadblocks. While sim drivers lack experience with G-forces, Verstappen thinks training and the right coaching can bridge the gap. He says sim racing has improved his own driving, and vice versa.Everyone always thinks that its just a game and its fun, easy going, Verstappen tells the outlet, but I would say the competition is just as hard, or even harder, to nail to win than in real life.TopicsGaming