Max Verstappen’s sim rig is the focus of this week’s Sim Racing Roundup. I also have details on how sim racing helps develop electric motorsport, using a sim to learn the Madring and more!
Overview
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
The Sim Rig Max Verstappen Swears by Ahead of his GT3 Race Against Rossi
Max Verstappen has become one of motorsport’s strongest advocates for sim racing as a serious training tool, and his own setup reflects that commitment. Ahead of his GT3 appearance against Valentino Rossi at Portimão, this article at Motorsport.com looks at the hardware, software and philosophy behind the rig Verstappen uses to sharpen his skills across different forms of racing.
For drivers looking to get more from simulator training, Verstappen’s preference for a static rig—and his emphasis on the brake pedal, wheelbase and a good computer—offers some useful perspective on what actually matters when building a serious sim racing setup.
From Sim Rig to Showroom: How Sim Racing and Esports Became a Testing Ground for Electric Motorsport
A decade ago, sim racing was a niche hobby for people with a steering wheel clamped to their desk. Today it sits at the heart of how electric motorsport develops cars, finds drivers and reaches fans who may never have watched a race on TV.
The overlap between gaming and electric racing has grown so much that anyone following esports news, on sites like esportnow.com, will increasingly see names from Formula E and the wider EV world. EV-Powered looks at how that happened, and why it matters for the future of electric cars.
This Sim Racing Trick Cost Us the Win in Real Life
A Season’s Work Pays Off in Madrid, and the Tracks You Can’t Just Go and Test
Madring was new territory for every Formula 2 and Formula 3 team when it hosted its first race weekend, but simulation offered one important advantage: drivers could arrive with a meaningful understanding of the circuit before turning a real wheel. This article from Virtex looks at how AIX Racing used high-fidelity simulation to prepare for Madrid, and why that approach is especially valuable at circuits such as Bathurst and Macau where testing opportunities are limited.
It also explores how simulator-based preparation can help young drivers build experience, develop reference laps and work with data and feedback—potentially giving them hundreds of laps of preparation that real-world testing budgets simply cannot provide.
IAAPS to Pair Advanced Simulator with 4WD Powertrain Test Facility to Accelerate Motorsport and Automotive Development
An advanced Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) simulator will combine virtual vehicle dynamics with physical propulsion hardware at the Bristol and Bath Science Park, supporting faster development for motorsport, automotive and wider transportation customers.
IAAPS will integrate an Ansible Motion Delta S2 simulator with its 1,800 kW four-wheel-drive powertrain test facility, bringing simulated vehicle behaviour, human driver inputs and physical powertrain hardware together within a single real-time development environment.
The new DiL simulator will enable customers to evaluate the dynamic interactions between the driver, propulsion system and vehicle systems. Complex development and validation work can begin earlier, helping to reduce technical risk, physical prototype testing requirements and overall development time.
The simulator has already supported race preparation involving F1 Academy driver Rachel Robertson. IAAPS is now engaging with organisations across motorsport, automotive and the wider transportation sector to realise the capability’s broader potential.
For motorsport customers, the simulator supports vehicle setup optimisation, calibration, strategy development and scenario testing. Drivers can also use the platform for track familiarisation, race procedure practice, coaching and consistency training.
By evaluating more options before arriving at the circuit, teams and drivers can make better engineering decisions while reducing their use of valuable track time, tyres and vehicle mileage. The controlled environment can also help develop driver confidence and improve communication between drivers and engineers.
Full details can be found here.
Competitive Sim Racing News
Sim Racing Competitions With Prizes in October 2026
October 2026 is one of the busiest sim racing competition months of the year, with opportunities ranging from more than $100,000 in cash and prizes to professional esports contracts, Fanatec hardware, scholarships, real-world Porsche driving experiences and tickets to major motorsport and sim racing events. Box This Lap has all the details here.
Sim Racing Tips & Techniques
Beginner’s Guide To Racing Lines – How They Work
‘The Racing Line’ is the name given to the route that produces the best lap times around any race track. In this video I give you the basics you need in order to recognise it, and show you the simple underlying philosophy that helps you understand how the racing line is constructed.
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
- McLaren fans can now get an F1-inspired sim setup for $900 (Motorsport.com)
- Thrustmaster Becomes Official Partner of Gran Turismo World Series and Unveils Its 5th Officially Licensed ‘Gran Turismo 7’ Steering Wheel (Gran Turismo)
- New Guide Highlights Key Factors for Choosing Sim Racing Cockpit Frames (My Carroll County News)
- MOZA MotoGP Sim Racing Handlebar Set for December Launch (Box This Lap)
- Asetek SimSports launches its new shifter and handbrake (Box This Lap)
- Thrustmaster T-GT III unveiled as officially licensed Gran Turismo 7 wheel (Traxion)
- Playseat Marks over 30 Years since Founding the Racing Cockpit Category (PR)
General Sim Racing News
- What to expect from sim racing and driving games in October (Traxion)
- Gran Turismo 7 Spec IV update Part 1 releases 15th October (Traxion)
- Project Motor Racing suffers further spate of job losses, including COO (Traxion)
- Play Assetto Corsa EVO’s free roam at the SimRacing Expo Frankfurt (Traxion)
- Le Mans Ultimate Update 1.4.3 Fixes Driver Swaps and Track Limits (Box This Lap)
Author: Mark Boudreau
Mark is the publisher of Motorsport Prospects and the host of the Motorsport Prospects Podcast. As a lawyer, he applies his legal background and research skills to assist race drivers by showcasing the resources they need to make their motorsport careers happen.
