Formula 1 stalwart, Max Verstappen, has candidly voiced his belief that virtual racing rivals are as formidable, if not more so, than his Formula 1 competitors. His sentiments have been echoed by Formula 2 debutant, Max Esterson, a virtual racer turned real-life motorist, who has also noted the high level of competition in sim racing.
Verstappen, who is gearing up for the 2025 F1 season in pursuit of his fifth consecutive World Championship, has been a vocal advocate of the virtual racing world. As a member of Team Redline, he is keen on carving a path for more virtual racers to transition into real-world racing. This ambition is driven by the escalating costs that are a barrier to entry in junior racing.
One individual who has successfully navigated this path is the 22-year-old American driver, Max Esterson. As one of the top sim racers globally, Esterson successfully transitioned to real-world racing and is currently readying himself for his inaugural full Formula 2 season with Trident in 2025.
Esterson is optimistic about Verstappen’s vision for the sim racing community and concurs with the reigning F1 World Champion that the level of competition in virtual racing rivals that of Formula 1.
In his conversation with the media, including PlanetF1.com, Esterson said, “There are so many talented drivers now on the sim. The talent pool is much larger than in real racing. I believe the standard on platforms like iRacing is as high as F1 in some aspects.”
He also commended Verstappen’s prowess as a sim racer, stating, “Max is one of the best on the sim at the moment. It’s great to see him championing this cause and I hope it paves the way for more opportunities.”
After a brief stint in Formula 3, Esterson got a taste of F2 with four races for Trident at the tail-end of the 2024 season and will continue with the team into 2025. He is set to team up with Sami Meguetounif in an all-rookie line-up.
Reflecting on his move to Trident, Esterson noted the significant increase in team size and resources, and the availability of a robust simulator and historical data. He said, “It’s my first time driving for a big team, with abundant resources and engineers. It’s been a positive experience so far and having access to a good simulator and a wealth of historical data has been incredibly beneficial.”
