Max Verstappen speaks as new team name confirmed | Sports News

Max Verstappen enters this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix together with his name now formally included into his sim racing team’s identification.

The group that has competed as Team Redline for over twenty years has rebranded as Verstappen Sim Racing, marking the Dutchman’s expanded dedication to motorsport past Formula 1.

Verstappen has clearly demonstrated in current months that his racing passions prolong effectively past his fundamental F1 profession. Just final weekend, he traveled to Germany to take part in a GT race on the Nurburgring — securing victory alongside co-drivers Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, though they had been subsequently disqualified for exceeding the permitted quantity of tire units.

The occasion served primarily as preparation for the Nurburgring 24 Hours race through which Verstappen plans to compete this May. However, while his entry into precise racing past F1 represents a pretty current development, the Dutchman has been competing at a high degree for years within the digital realm.

Verstappen initially joined forces with Team Redline 4 years in the past, and has constantly participated in digital racing competitions — sometimes even during precise F1 race weekends. He has additionally been instrumental in facilitating some sim racers’ transitions into skilled motorsport, together with Britain’s Chris Lulham, who has achieved appreciable success in GT racing after initially competing completely in digital occasions.

Verstappen referenced Lulham’s achievements in precise racing when he launched a assertion concerning his surname being adopted by the sim racing team.

He mentioned: “Sim racing is a major passion of mine outside of Formula 1, and Team Redline has played an important role in that. I spend a lot of time there when I’m not at the circuit, and it is part of what I am building with Verstappen Racing.

“This step to Verstappen Sim Racing feels very natural. We are building on every part we’ve got achieved and aligning it with the broader Verstappen Racing platform. I’ve at all times believed that sim racing can develop actual expertise, and we’re already seeing that with Chris Lulham. I’m very excited to construct on the team’s success and see what the long run holds.”

Dom Duhan, who established Team Redline in 2000, also commented following the rebrand. He said: “I’m proud that every part Team Redline has constructed will proceed beneath Verstappen Sim Racing.

“After many years of developing and guiding the team, this transition feels like a natural evolution, one that will continue to inspire and nurture the next generation of racing talent.”

For the second, nonetheless, Verstappen’s focus shifts back to F1 and this weekend’s Japanese GP. He claimed victory in every of the earlier 4 Suzuka races, though it will take an distinctive flip of occasions for him to increase that streak with Red Bull considerably behind pace-setters Mercedes and Ferrari in these opening weeks of the new season.