Video: Verstappen's stunner of a pole at Bathurst 12 Hour

©iRacing

It's but a virtual hot lap, but Max Verstappen's breathtaking qualifying pole for last weekend's iRacing Bathurst 12 Hours is well worth a watch.

With pre-season testing just two weeks away, the Red Bull charger is in the thick of his preparations for the 2021 F1 season.

But Verstappen will always make way for a bout of sim racing with Team Redline, especially when it involves racing at Mount Panorama, one of motorsport's most challenging and exhilarating tracks in both the real and virtual world.

The Bathurst 12 Hour saw the Dutchman partner with pro sim racer Enzo Bonito onboard their Team Redline Audi R8 GT3, and the pair took no prisoners on race day, enjoying a light-to-flag win as they lapped the entire field!

Read also: Verstappen 'not really thinking' about possible 2021 Mercedes chance

But the talk among Esport's racers last weekend was Verstappen stunning pole, undertaken at night around Mount Panorama and which put the Grand Prix driver 0.449s clear of the next fastest driver, Williams Esport's Lasse Bak.

By all accounts, it was a remarkable full-on, mind blowing performance by Verstappen who comprehensively trounced the sim pros.

Check out Max's barn-burning lap in the video hereunder.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.