We are mixing things here.
For me, it's clear that somebody fast in simracing, has a bigger chance of being fast in real racing than somebody that it's not. But when it comes to be as fast in a real racing car, many other factors come into play and the fast simracer can be not good in some of them, making him slower. That's why I say a fast simracer has the potential, but has to show it later in real racing when he has to face the whole package.
If you put a real racer in a simulator like the ones we use, they struggle at the beginning (they suck mostly) for the absence of references and G-forces, the different type of vision (real 3D vs 2D monitor), but after a period of adaptation they start being really fast because they have to deal with less factors than in real life and is just pure driving technique, that they have.
All the F1 teams, FR 3.5, F3 ... they all use simulators (way better than ours), and they all know the differences and the limits. If it was like you said, Ferrari would have immediately sign the TOP5 of FSR, or even better, the finalists of the Ferrari Virtual Academy that beat Alonso's times in the simulator, because they would have the substitute for him there for almost no money, but it's not like that, it's not that direct, it's not that Ferrari is stupid and doesn't pay attention to simracing (they organized the competition), is that they know they can see potential and qualities with it but then they want to try them in a real car and see the rest, and in that case, nobody (even spanish National Karting Champion) managed to impress them enough to sign.
Also, like David said, most of GT Academy winners had previous racing experience, which was a clear advantage when they had to jump from virtual to real cars in few days. You can see there how some aliens in the virtual become slower and more average in real cars, while others keep their speed, and some even are faster in comparison in the real car than in the simulator.
Anyway in GT Academy they don't pick the fastest guy in the sim, nor the fastest guy in the real racing car, they look for a guy with a lot of potential to develop, that's what they want, somebody they can teach and train to be a real elite racing driver.
To look for that potential, simracing is a good tool, but it's not a guarantee.
So, about the precise subject, I think somebody should give Bono an opportunity because he showed amazing driving skills and an incredible potential to be a great racing driver, I really think he can make it if he's at a decent level in other aspects of the real racing.