How can it be real sitting in a chair and playing on a computer? Not even the real F1 simulators can simulate every aspect or real racing, although much better than this.
You can turn on tire and fuel sim, mess up your setup to make it harder, but it still doesnt make up for a lacking physics engine though.
I agree it would have been more fun if the top times where just a little slower than the actual lap records done in real life. But just installing something for myself that no one else uses so I cant compete with anyone, doesnt make sense to me at least.