Sim training for real-world track drivers is just one of the topics covered in this week’s Sim Racing Roundup. I also have details on another sim to real-world racing transition, why you need to be fit for sim racing and more!
Overview
From Sim Racing to the Real Thing
Coaching Driver Development – Sim Training for Real-World Track Drivers
A simulator can be much more than a way to learn a track or compete onlineโit can be a powerful driver-development tool. In this two-part series, veteran driver coach Ross Bentley explains how real-world track drivers can use sim training to develop everything from vision, car control and consistency to mental focus, racecraft and adaptability. He also addresses the common objections to simulator training and offers practical drills that can be applied directly to real-world driving.
- Coaching Driver Development – Sim Training for Real-World Track Drivers โ PART 1
- Coaching Driver Development – Sim Training for Real-World Track Drivers โ Part 2
The Simulator Generation
Not long ago, racing simulators were seen mostly as games. Today, they are part of how professional drivers prepare, and for many young drivers they have become a daily training tool.
โThe drivers who get the most from it will be the ones who use it with purpose: to prepare, to repeat, to analyze, and then to take what they learned onto the real track, where it ultimately counts.โ
So how exactly does a simulator help a young driver, and where are its limits? This article from YMSTEM Foundation explains.
Is Sim a Real Alternative?
For fledgling racers, are simulators a true alternative to real-world experience?
Could you learn more about racing from simulators than from working your way up through karts to entry-level open-wheel? In the last print edition of RACER magazine (the July/August 2026 edition), author Stephen Kilbey looks to answer the question.
“I’m a big advocate for sim racing, and I’ve long said that the closest I’ve ever been to real-life racing is sitting in my sim rig and playing iRacing. It gives you the intensity and pressure. But there’s a huge difference between that in your bedroom and actually hurtling towards a braking point at 70 miles per hour with your backside two inches from the floor of am actual kart.”
You can access the issue through RACER’s digital archives with their All-Access membership or by purchasing the July/August 2026 edition directly here.
Pro GT Driver Daniel Morad Reviews iRacingโs New Track Updates
iRacing just updated a bunch of tracks, so I wanted to see how much of a difference the changes actually make. In this video, weโre checking out the new track updates and comparing them directly to real-life footage Having driven these tracks in real life, there are definitely some details I noticed right away.
Kadleฤรญk, Caruana, and Hawkin Set to Compete in 2026 Skip Barber Formula Car Shootout at VIR
Back in July, the 2026 Skip Barber Formula iRacing Series concluded its season with Martin Kadleฤรญk from the Czech Republic taking the virtual championship over the United Kingdomโs Matt Caruanaโthe 2025 series championโand Canadaโs Brandon Hawkin, competing in his second season of the competition, but his first since the 2023 campaign.
This week, those three sim competitors will head to VIRginia International Raceway in the United States for a three-day Formula Car Shootout. Theyโll be competing against one another for a full-season seat in the Skip Barber Formula Race Series, last year won by Aaron Vazquez. Caruana will be making his second attempt in the Shootout, while Kadleฤรญk and Hawkin will both attempt it for the first time.
iRacing has the full details here.
From Virtual to Real: Sai Makes Seamless Transition from Sim Racing to F4
For most people, simulator racing is a game. For Chennai teenager Sai Aditya, it became the first step towards a career in motorsport. The 19-year-old took to racing simulators during the Covid-19 pandemic. Four years later, he is racing a real Formula 4 car, competing against young drivers from Kenya, South Africa, Norway, Singapore and Australia in the FIA championship. It has been an unconventional route to single-seater racing, but one that Sai believes has prepared him well. Read about his journey here.
Why Sim Racers Need to be Fit with Lewis Paris
This week on the Motorsport Prospects Podcast I chat with performance coach Lewis Paris who explains why sim racers need to be fit to maximize their performance on track. It will be an eye opener for those of you who spend hours in a sim but never think about the physical toll it takes on your body. Listen to the full episode here!
When STEM Becomes Human What Racing Simulators Can Teach Us About Focus, Conflict, and Emotional Well-Being
Racing simulators can teach far more than braking points and vehicle dynamics. This article from the One10Ten Foundation explores how simulation can combine STEM education with the development of self-awareness, communication, resilience, problem-solving and other human skills. By using telemetry to turn mistakes into opportunities for analysis and adjustment, students learn not only how to improve their driving, but how to respond to pressure, accept feedback and adapt. Itโs an interesting look at how motorsport simulation can become a powerful pathway into both technical learning and personal development.
Competitive Sim Racing News
Is F1 Sim Racing Dead?
The future of Formula 1โs official esports competition, F1 Sim Racing, is uncertain, as Traxion understands that teams have been withdrawing from a planned upcoming season. Here are a few articles covering what may be happening.
- F1 teams withdraw from official sim racing competition, future in doubt (Traxion)
- Rumoured Sale, Teams Withdrawing: F1 Sim Racing Appears To Fall Apart (Overtake)
- F1 Sim Racing future in doubt as teams withdraw (Grand Prix.com)
Genesis Launches Le Mans Ultimate Esports Series, Full-Time Pro Sim Racing Drive Up for Grabs
The premium Korean car manufacturer to run the Genesis Magma Racing Esports Series within Le Mans Ultimate, with a drive on its official sim racing team and other prizes up for grabs. It will also use the usually subscription-only online championships mode for free. Traxion has the details here.
The Esports Global Rally Tour South America Shootout
The Esports Global Rally Tour South America Shootout brought together some of the regionโs leading Esports talent for an action-packed showcase of skill, speed and competition. William Raynor emerged as the winner of the second FIA Esports Global Rally Tour Regional Shootout.
Sim Racing Tech Roundup
- Logitech Unveils RS50 McLaren Bundle and RS Pedals SE (Box This Lap)
- MOZA R3 vs R5 Pro vs R16 Ultra: 4x Torque Gap [2026] (Tech Insider)
- MOZA R25 Ultra vs Podium DD2 vs Simucube 3: 44% Gap [2026] (Tech Insider)
- I crashed a virtual Porsche at Brands Hatch โ and it sounded fantastic (Stuff)
- Next Level Racing Launches GTLite Air Foldable Cockpit (SGO)
General Sim Racing News
- Why Sim Racing Has Become So Popular (SimStaff)
- Assetto Corsa EVO and Rally Target Full Release in 2027 (Box This Lap)
- F1 Sim Racing 2027 Still Unannounced Despite Record 2026 Growth (Box This Lap)
- Forza Horizon and Forza Motorsport development teams merged, ending Turn 10 Studios (Traxion)
- New Project Motor Racing update adds Lamborghini Temerario alongside graphics and physics tweaks (Traxion)
- Free roam arrives in next Assetto Corsa EVO update (Traxion)
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.
