Max Verstappen’s impact is being felt by Toto Wolff (Image: Getty)
has explained how his son, Jack, is following in the footsteps of four-time world champion and using sim-racing to help him dominate his competition in karting events.
Simulators have become a priceless tool for young drivers looking to improve their on-track performance without paying extreme fees for track days and events. F1 teams and drivers alike also use them to hone their skills ahead of race weekends.
In recent years, sim racers Lucas Blakeley and Cem Bolukbasi have ventured into the feeder series ladder after online success. At the same time, NASCAR sensation William Byron only stepped behind the wheel for the first time at 15, having discovered his immense talent competing on the iRacing simulator platform.
While many F1 drivers see simulator time as a necessary evil, Verstappen is the opposite. The Dutchman often spends his leisure time away from the race track behind the wheel at home, competing in virtual races that can sometimes be as long as 24 hours. His passion for online racing is translating to the next generation, too.
“My son is seven years old,” Wolff explained to . “He has a kart simulator at home. He races against other drivers online. There are four relevant tracks in Italy. He had never driven on one of them before, but he knew it from the simulator.
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Toto Wolff’s son has been using simulators to help him develop (Image: Getty)
“Then we took part in a race there. He goes onto the track and is immediately the fastest. Then he says to me: ‘I know the track’. I answer: ‘Yes, but only in the simulator’. He says: ‘I’m telling you, I’ve been here before’.
“What do we conclude from that? Young people no longer differentiate between reality and the virtual world. The graphics are so good these days, and young people’s minds work differently. My son sometimes drives 20 kart races of five minutes each in a row.
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“They have everything, from the start to the crash. They have experienced it all. Normally, you would recommend this type of training to every driver. The older ones will probably find it a bit more difficult. And maybe it doesn’t work for everyone like it did for Max.”
Unfortunately for Verstappen, his latest sim-racing exploits weren’t as successful as he’d hoped. The 27-year-old was hit with a drive-through penalty after crashing into the leader in the final race of the GTP IMSA Global Esports Championship before eventually finishing in 12th position.