Team name change confirmed ahead of F1 Japanese Grand Prix | F1 | Sport
Max Verstappen heads into this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix with his name newly-installed into the identity of his sim racing team. The outfit which has for more than two decades competed as Team Redline has been rebranded to Verstappen Sim Racing, with the Dutchman deepening his commitment to motorsport activities outside of Formula 1.
Verstappen has made it clear in recent times that his racing interests go far beyond his primary career in F1. Just this past weekend, he was in Germany to compete in a GT race at the Nurburgring – he won it, alongside co-drivers Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, though they were later disqualified for having used too many tyre sets.
It was effectively a practice run for the Nurburgring 24 Hours race in which Verstappen intends to take part in May. But while his move into real-life racing outside of F1 is a relatively new development, the Dutchman has been driving competitively for years in the virtual world.
Verstappen first partnered with Team Redline four years ago, and has regularly taken part in virtual racing events – on occasion even during real-life F1 race weekends. He has also played a major role in helping some sim racers to transition into real-world motorsport, such as Britain’s Chris Lulham who has enjoyed plenty of success in GT racing having started out taking part only in virtual competitions.
Verstappen referred to Lulham’s success in real-world racing as he issued a statement in response to his surname being adopted by the sim racing outfit. He said: “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 everything we have achieved and aligning it with the wider Verstappen Racing platform. I have always believed that sim racing can develop real talent, and we are already seeing that with Chris Lulham. I am very excited to build on the team’s success and see what the future holds.”
Dom Duhan, who founded Team Redline in 2000, also spoke out after the rebrand. He said: “I am proud that everything Team Redline has built will continue under 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 now, though, Verstappen’s attention turns back to F1 and this weekend’s Japanese GP. He has won each of the last four Suzuka races, though surely only an extraordinary set of circumstances will see him extend that record with Red Bull a long way off the pace of front-runners Mercedes and Ferrari in these early weeks of the new season.
