Red Bull Motorsports
F1
Max Verstappen vs. racing games
Formula One superstar and Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen talks about video games, racing and how the two compare.
Max Verstappen is the youngest competitor we've ever seen in F1. With a little help from Red Bull Racing, he's the youngest driver to lead an F1 race, the youngest F1 star to get on the podium and the youngest to win a race. He may be extraordinary, but like the rest of us Max is also a big fan of gaming, and we've been talking to him to find out how games like F1 2016 compare with the real thing.
When we spoke to Verstappen, the Spanish GP winner was busy preparing for the Hungarian grand prix in Budapest, a race he eventually finished a respectable fifth, two places behind more experienced Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. It was a strong showing from Verstappen, but what does the F1 star look for in a computer game when he’s not battling it out on track?
Learn more about the Dutch driver by listening to the Becoming Max Verstappen episode of the Beyond the Ordinary podcast.
What do you look for when choosing a game? Assuming it’s a racing game, are you after realism or something a lot more arcade-like to wind down to?
We’ve seen you involved with a pro sim racing team, Team Redline, in the past; what spurred you on to join and race with those guys? Was that to keep your racing skills honed while on the off-season?
Well, mainly for me it’s fun to see where I am compared to them in the virtual racing world. It’s good fun, they are very competitive and we share setup thoughts and I try to give them some advice as well. It works out perfectly.
Do you prefer to drive in a racing cabinet with a steering wheel or can you still keep up on a gamepad?
You are definitely slower on a gamepad. If you want to compete with the best you need a simulator!
Max Verstappen shows how it’s done
© Codemasters
What other games do you play aside from racers? Are you keen on any currently hot titles like Overwatch or even Pokémon GO?
Games I play outside of racing… I’d say Call Of Duty mainly, or a bit of FIFA.
How does the feeling of taking a podium compare to winning in a game? Does that depend on who you’re playing against?
Of course for me the real deal is on track in the real world, so a podium is much better!
What do you think of the racing simulators the teams have versus games like F1 2016 or Project CARS? How does it compare with what the team has?
Well, I think both are definitely very good already. The tracks are really well prepared and look great but in terms of setup work and data analysis it’s nowhere near the real car. Of course, Formula One teams are investing a lot of money into virtual sims to get them closer to the real car, and for me it helps a lot to do simulator work because it’s really well prepared. It means we can do most of the setup there before we come to the track.
Max Verstappen and his Red Bull Racing car
© Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool
Are you as good in a virtual car as you are the real thing, or do you find yourself getting beaten by other people?
I’m better in a real car but I’m not bad in the virtual world.
What are the biggest differences and what do you find toughest about virtual racing?
One of the toughest things is the fact the feel of the car is completely different, it doesn’t feel like it does in reality because you don’t have the G-forces and that makes it much more difficult to control. There are some tricks you can do on a virtual sim compared to a real car that can help you but in general it’s about 90 per cent the same.
Are you a competitive gamer, or do you leave that for the “office”?
I can be competitive when I want to be, especially when I am racing with the other guys from Team Redline. Of course you want to compare yourself and do the best possible job so you are kind of competitive.
Do you ever get to play games against other F1 stars, and who is the toughest to beat?
I’ve never played a game against other drivers except Daniel Ricciardo once in Monaco, I think it was. We had to do an event and it was a lot of fun!
Is Virtual Reality the way forward? Will it change racing games?
I think that Virtual Reality will make a big impact, but I’m sure it will never be the real deal…
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