Max Verstappen retires from iRacing Daytona 24, a week after crashing out from virtual Le Mans

Max Verstappen has retired from the ongoing iRacing Daytona 24 hour virtual sim race, just one week after crashing out of the 24 hours of virtual Le Mans. The Dutchman participated with his usual team, Redline, who streamed his video for the entirety of the world champion's stint.

Verstappen starred alongside teammates Chris Lulham and Gianni Vecchio. Lulham managed the first shift, pulling away from the rest of the pack in a decisive manner in second place. The Briton, however, experienced a power cut, causing a blank screen and a computer shut-off. Despite the power outage, the Porsche 911 GT3.R managed to avoid a crash but was a lap behind the rest of the field.

Since the car was undamaged, Gianni Vecchio hopped into his personal simulator to take control of the #69 Porsche. As luck would have it, however, he soon experienced a power outage too.

Max Verstappen's team did everything they could to try and salvage their race, but with 14 hours left, they decided to retire the car. The situation meant that the Dutchman did not drive a single meter in the prestigious race, much to the disappointment of fans.

Bad luck seems to follow the reigning world champion in the virtual world as last week, the 24-year-old crashed out of the 24 hours of Le Mans virtual event. The Red Bull driver was in the first place, comfortably leading the pack when a slight error in judgment sent his LMP car flying into the barriers. Verstappen, however, did manage to show off his amazing real racing skills, taking the lead with an epic overtake around the outside before his crash.

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Max Verstappen uses sim racing to prepare for real-life racing

Max Verstappen won his maiden world title in Abu Dhabi, erasing all possible doubt from the minds of even the harshest of critics. The Dutchman has proved he is more than capable of dominating on track, even when given a slightly less competent car.

The Red Bull driver, however, claims virtual sim racing has helped him strengthen his real-life racing. In an interview with personal sponsor CarNext, the champion revealed that he indulges in sim racing to help him set up his real-life cars. He said:

“It keeps me ready to go because I’m spending a lot of time also then on the setup. I’m not racing a Formula 1 car on the simulator, but it’s like GT cars, so it’s also a different technique of driving. I just keep testing myself, and especially these sim drivers... they’re so quick!”

Max Verstappen praised his fellow sim racing experts, showing his respect for their virtual pace despite never having stepped into real-life machinery. He said:

“It’s very interesting to see them drive because they have no real experience of a car but, somehow, when you look at how they’re braking, how they’re controlling, it is how it should be. It’s very interesting for me to then compare myself to them because they’re naturally quick on the sim, I’m naturally quick in real life.”

Verstappen is set to return alongside Sergio Perez for the 2022 season, with the team hoping the duo can help secure future title wins in the sport.