Something interesting happened during the pandemic: Since real-life Formula One races were shut down, drivers competed in virtual events using racing simulators. No one could have predicted how wildly popular these events would be. Some 30 million people, all trapped in their homes by COVID restrictions, tuned in to 2020's F1 Virtual Grand Prix series.The popularity of the series drove sales of F1 2019, Formula One's official Xbox/PlayStation/PC game. That in turn drove the sales of racing sim set-ups, which have now exploded in popularity; the racing sim market was around $384 million two years before the pandemic; today it's around $500 million; and it's projected to hit almost $2 billion by 2033.All of which explains why PC and gaming perirpherals company Logitech is now selling an official, licensed McLaren Racing Seat for racing sim set-ups. The seat is made of aluminum and padded with ModuFoam; these are modular foam insert pads that the user can place for a custom fit. The seat sits within a high-carbon steel frame, to which the user can attach (non-included) pedals and steering rigs. The seat runs $600 and comes in any color you want, as long as that color is McLaren Orange. Lastly, it's interesting to note the very different fate of another type of sim. Peloton also saw a massive boost during the pandemic, going from $910 million in sales in 2019 to $1.8 billion in 2020but after that, the company fell off of a cliff. Peloton's shares, which peaked at $162, are worth about $8 today. Why the difference in fates, since both offer simulated experiences? Probably because racing sims provide users with a simulation of an experience that they could never have in real life, whether we're under lockdown or not. But once things opened back up, it turns out that cyclists prefer the real thing, and/or doing it at a gym. There's a business lesson in there somewhere.