Max Verstappen has announced a significant expansion of his racing ventures beyond Formula 1, revealing that his acclaimed sim racing outfit Team Redline will be rebranded as Verstappen Sim Racing. The four-time world champion’s decision aligns the virtual racing team more closely with his broader Verstappen Racing brand, which includes his GT racing operations.
The Dutch driver explained that sim racing represents a major passion outside of his F1 commitments, describing the rebrand as a “natural next step” for his growing motorsport portfolio. “Sim Racing is a big passion of mine outside Formula 1, and Team Redline has been a big part of that,” Verstappen stated. “It is where I spend a lot of my time off track, and part of what I am building with Verstappen Racing.”
Verstappen’s commitment to developing talent across different racing disciplines is already bearing fruit, with his friend Chris Lulham transitioning from sim racing success with Team Redline to real-world GT competition. Lulham will compete alongside Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon in the pro class of GT World Challenge Europe this season, following his Gold Cup triumph in the series last year.
The announcement comes as Verstappen continues to pursue his GT racing ambitions, recently competing at the Nurburgring Nordschleife where his No. 3 Mercedes Team Verstappen Racing AMG GT3 claimed victory before being disqualified hours later. The race served as preparation for Verstappen’s planned entry in May’s 24 Hours of Nurburgring endurance event, with the disqualification ultimately handing victory to the No. 99 Rowe Racing BMW of Dan Harper and Jordan Pepper.
Verstappen emphasized his belief in sim racing’s potential to cultivate genuine racing talent, pointing to Lulham’s progression as evidence of the platform’s effectiveness. “I’ve always believed that sim racing can develop real talent, and we’re already seeing that with Chris Lulham,” he noted, expressing excitement about continuing to build on the team’s achievements under its new identity.