Max Verstappen rebrands his sim racing team ahead of Japanese GP

Max Verstappen has rebranded his long-time sim racing outfit, Team Redline, to Verstappen Sim Racing, integrating it more closely with his broader Verstappen Racing platform. The move underscores the three-time world champion's deep personal investment in virtual racing as a serious training ground and talent incubator, coming just days after he was disqualified from a real-world Nürburgring race win.

Why it matters:

Verstappen is arguably the most prominent bridge between Formula 1 and the sim racing world, often practicing in his simulator until the early hours before Grand Prix weekends. By putting his name directly on the team, he is formalizing its role within his professional ecosystem, signaling that sim racing is not just a hobby but a core component of driver development and his brand's future. This rebrand elevates the stature of virtual racing within the motorsport hierarchy.

The details:

• The rebrand from Team Redline to Verstappen Sim Racing was announced by the driver himself, who called the step "very natural."
• Team Redline was founded in 2000 and has been closely associated with Verstappen for years, serving as his primary virtual racing team.
• A Talent Pipeline: Verstappen highlighted the team's role in developing real-world talent, specifically mentioning Chris Lulham. Lulham joined the sim team in 2021 and was later selected by Verstappen to transition to real-world racing in 2025, even teaming up with him to win a GT3 race at the Nürburgring.
• Executive Backing: Atze Kerkhof, CEO of the new Verstappen Sim Racing, stated the team aims to be a "true breeding ground for real world talent." Dom Duhan, founder of the original Team Redline, endorsed the transition as a "natural evolution."
• The announcement follows a controversial weekend where Verstappen won an NLS race at the Nürburgring only to be disqualified post-race.

The big picture:

Verstappen is systematically building a racing empire that extends far beyond his F1 seat. Verstappen Sim Racing now joins Verstappen.com Racing (which manages his real-world junior drivers) under the larger Verstappen Racing banner. This consolidation creates a clear pathway from virtual competition to real-world seats, with Verstappen at the center as both a patron and a participant. It reinforces a growing trend in motorsport where sim racing skills and communities are increasingly recognized as valuable assets for scouting and training the next generation of drivers.