Max Verstappen's father will not participate in Dubai 24 hour race

2021 F1 Champion Max Verstappen's father Jos Verstappen has reportedly backed out of the 2022 24H Dubai race. The former F1 driver was all set to take part with Thierry Vermeulen, the son of Max's manager. This would have been the Dutchman's first international outing in a decade after last contesting a race in 2012. The 49 year-old returned home, citing personal reasons.

The automobile endurance race, first organized in 2008, will be held at the Dubai Autodrome. The maiden event was won by the Düller Motorsport team. The team drove a BMW M3 with a familiar face on the F1 paddock as the fourth driver — Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff.

The GP Elite team with which Vermeulen and Verstappen would have been driving also included drivers Roger Hodenius and Steven van Rhee.

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Max Verstappen to race 2022 Virtual Le Mans 24

Max has been an avid sim racer ever since starting his racing career (Photo by Laszlo Balogh/Getty Images)

Just a month after winning his maiden F1 title by beating seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen has now entered the Virtual Le Mans 24. The virtual race will feature some of the top names from the world of motor racing and "sim racing." A starting grid of 200 drivers will compete in the simulator-based video game race, with the winner walking away with a prize money of $125,000.

The inaugural Virtual Le Mans was run in the summer of 2020, after the real-world annual race was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event had a viewership of over 14 million viewers, becoming popular with fans. Last year, it grew to become a full-fledged digital championship series.

The F1 world champion is also an avid sim racer — he took part in the 2020 version alongside fellow driver Lando Norris. They were leading for Team Redline when a frozen screen led to a collision with eventual winners Rebellion-Williams Esports. When asked about his love for sim racing, he said :

“Simulator racing is keeping me sharp. What else can you do at this moment? You have to stay inside. And it’s fun. I really enjoy sim racing anyway. Over the winter, I did it a lot, and I try to practice my skills and make it even better. That’s why I love doing it.”

This edition, Verstappen’s teammates include Swedish IndyCar driver Felix Rosenqvist and sim racers Max Benecke and Atze Kerkhof.