Sim racing: just a game or real-life training?

The world of video games, particularly simulators, has evolved significantly in recent years. While the primary focus remains on entertainment, advancements in game engines and graphics that closely mimic reality raise an important question: is sim racing an asset for professional drivers to train for a race?

The answer is YES! A great number of real-world drivers regularly engage with simulators, achieving extraordinary results, both in virtual and real-world racing. Max Verstappen is just one great example of this. His goal is to perfect his pro sim drivers’ superior race management skills, which help him to be at the top on F1 circuits.

Scenario-Based Learning for High-Stakes Situations

Airline pilots train on simulators to develop skills in a low-risk environment. This allows them to increase situational awareness, limit potential emotional distress in challenging situations and develop confidence in making critical decisions quickly. It’s no different for professional racers.

Being fast consistently means maintaining an incredibly high level of concentration. The ability to instantly analyze a situation on the digital track is the key difference between an average sim driver and a top racer. Virtual drivers competing at the highest levels are formidable "machines" – through training, they translate virtual and sensory inputs into procedural memory. By training in a virtual environment, drivers also have the opportunity to test “what if” scenarios without risk. All this input comes together to enable a driver to instinctively apply best-practice behavior on the track.

Racing on Real-World Tracks

Knowing when and how to brake or accelerate goes hand in hand with knowing your racetrack. The tracks found in games are now “digital twins” of their counterparts. They allow drivers to familiarize themselves with tracks without ever having set foot on them. The detail available nowadays is incredible: the inclines, declines, curb heights, and even bumps are faithfully reproduced.

By the time drivers with much experience in the virtual world hit the track, they are able to focus on other sensory input. Let’s take the Fanatec GT World Challenge as an example: there are generally two official practice sessions and one optional session, shared by two or three drivers (two for sprint races and three for endurance races). This means that actual driving time is relatively short. Arriving at the track prepared, having tested it on the simulator, can be a great way to save time by already knowing much of its secrets.

A driver who spends a lot of time on the sim consciously and subconsciously works on the cognitive aspect of racing, thereby speeding up their ability to make decisions on track during competition. The three-time F1 World Champion and Oracle Red Bull racing driver Max Verstappen has never hidden the fact that his continuous competition with the best sim racers in the world helps him become even more complete and competitive on track. He is known for his extensive virtual training and experience in digital endurance racing, an interest he pursues semi-professionally. Continuous practice at home and on the track have been a key to Verstappen’s success, as well as for greats like Cem Bölükbaşı, Jann Mardenborough or Tim Heinemann.

Sim Racing Converging with Reality

The current driving simulator software and hardware have reached very high levels of realism. As they promote the development of targeted cognitive abilities, many professional drivers now incorporate sim racing as part of their training. What began as a recreational activity, now has serious professional applications. It’s no coincidence that a number of drivers have transitioned from the sim to professional racing: Who knows, the next one could be you!