How long will it take to see a sim racer in Formula 1?
If this question was asked 10 years ago (maybe less), most people would say this would never happen. They would say it would have been the same as someone taking the leap from playing FIFA to the Premiership in the UK, or becoming a martial artist because they played Mortal Kombat.
Sim racing is different, it has evolved, hardware has improved, and real-world drivers actively take part in sim racing. The gap between real world driving and sim racing is getting smaller and perhaps one day there won’t be a gap at all.
We all know how drivers get into Formula 1. These days, being a talented driver isn’t enough - you need contacts, financial backing, sponsorships, and a lot of luck.
Currently F1 is an elitist sport and yes this is how it all started too, the pinnacle of motorsport was a place for rich playboys - but there was a brief time where drivers could make it if they had the talent. Perhaps sim racing is a window of opportunity for raw talent to make it back to F1?
It may no longer be a question; will we ever see a sim racer become an F1 driver? Maybe this is inevitable. Yes the younger generation of drivers have all taken part in sim racing actively for years, but could someone be discovered as a future star from sim racing alone?
Over recent years there have been countless examples of drivers taking the leap from driving in their bedroom, to driving a real car. Typically this happens as a result of a competition or a sim racer/content creator has become famous enough for a racing team to see an opportunity.
The potential of a sim racer in F1 could be happening right now. F1 teams could be looking at the sim racing world right now, looking for fresh talent. Sim racing is way more accessible than karting, which is typically where F1 drivers start out. Karting is expensive and requires a huge commitment from a family to finance such a hobby. Whilst it’s difficult to know how many children are karting around the world, it would be perfectly reasonable to assume that they are more children and young teens playing racing games and taking part in sim racing. Which means the pool for potential talent is far greater.
It would be safe to assume that F1 scouts have at the very least looked at a number of potential drivers. I wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that the likes of Max Verstappen may have mentioned a few names to look out for during his time in sim racing.
Even if F1 drivers who are taking part in sim racing aren’t nudging the odd scout to look at different drivers, surely these teams must see the potential. Maybe this is why they invest so heavily in their esports teams, maybe they already have names in mind, maybe they’ve been grooming the next F1 star - who’s ready and waiting in the wings to jump right in.
How long do you believe it will take for a sim racer to make it to F1?
If this question was asked 10 years ago (maybe less), most people would say this would never happen. They would say it would have been the same as someone taking the leap from playing FIFA to the Premiership in the UK, or becoming a martial artist because they played Mortal Kombat.
Sim racing is different, it has evolved, hardware has improved, and real-world drivers actively take part in sim racing. The gap between real world driving and sim racing is getting smaller and perhaps one day there won’t be a gap at all.
We all know how drivers get into Formula 1. These days, being a talented driver isn’t enough - you need contacts, financial backing, sponsorships, and a lot of luck.
Currently F1 is an elitist sport and yes this is how it all started too, the pinnacle of motorsport was a place for rich playboys - but there was a brief time where drivers could make it if they had the talent. Perhaps sim racing is a window of opportunity for raw talent to make it back to F1?
It may no longer be a question; will we ever see a sim racer become an F1 driver? Maybe this is inevitable. Yes the younger generation of drivers have all taken part in sim racing actively for years, but could someone be discovered as a future star from sim racing alone?
Over recent years there have been countless examples of drivers taking the leap from driving in their bedroom, to driving a real car. Typically this happens as a result of a competition or a sim racer/content creator has become famous enough for a racing team to see an opportunity.
The potential of a sim racer in F1 could be happening right now. F1 teams could be looking at the sim racing world right now, looking for fresh talent. Sim racing is way more accessible than karting, which is typically where F1 drivers start out. Karting is expensive and requires a huge commitment from a family to finance such a hobby. Whilst it’s difficult to know how many children are karting around the world, it would be perfectly reasonable to assume that they are more children and young teens playing racing games and taking part in sim racing. Which means the pool for potential talent is far greater.
It would be safe to assume that F1 scouts have at the very least looked at a number of potential drivers. I wouldn’t be unreasonable to think that the likes of Max Verstappen may have mentioned a few names to look out for during his time in sim racing.
Even if F1 drivers who are taking part in sim racing aren’t nudging the odd scout to look at different drivers, surely these teams must see the potential. Maybe this is why they invest so heavily in their esports teams, maybe they already have names in mind, maybe they’ve been grooming the next F1 star - who’s ready and waiting in the wings to jump right in.
How long do you believe it will take for a sim racer to make it to F1?
