Verstappen signs up for virtual Le Mans 24 Hours!

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Reigning F1 world champion and avid sim racer Max Verstappen is set to tackle next weekend's virtual Le Mans 24 Hours with Team Redline.

The popular online event that has attracted a star-studded blend of virtual and real-life racers will kick off on January 15 at 14h00 CET (13h00 UK) and will be streamed across multiple social media and Esports platforms.

Verstappen will team up with Arrow McLaren SP IndyCar charger Felix Rosenqvist and sim racers Max Benecke and Atze Kerkhof, with the quartet of drivers racing Team Redline's Oreca 07 in the LMP category.

The outfit's second entry will feature pros Oliver Rowland and Felipe Drugovich, and their sim teammates Jeffrey Rietveld and Michael Schmidl.

Also competing in the LMP class, former F1 driver and Indy 500 winner Juan-Pablo Montoya will be racing alongside by his son Sebastian, while additional pro racers include among others 2021 IndyCar champion Alex Palou, Sergio Sette Camara, Viktor Martins, Louis Deletraz, former DTM champion Bruno Spengler and W Series chargers Fabienne Wohlwend and Ayla Agren.

Among the entrants, Williams, Red Bull Racing, Alpine and Mercedes will all take part in the 24-hour endurance race with their respective Esports lineups.

Read also: Verstappen reveals prime motivational thought on race day

Verstappen has never hidden his passion for sim racing and continues to indulge in online racing even when the F1 season is in full swing.

"It keeps me just ready to go," the Red Bull driver said in a recent interview for sponsor CarNext.com with David Coulthard.

"I'm not racing an F1 car on the simulator, it's like GT cars. But it's also a different technique of driving, so I just keep testing myself.

"These sim drivers, they're so quick. It's very interesting to see them drive because they have no real experience of a car.

"But somehow when you look at how they're braking, how they control it, it is how it should be," added the Dutchman.

"So it's very interesting for me to then compare myself to them because they are naturally quick on the sim and I'm naturally quick in real life.

"For me that’s' another motivation because I know I'm confident that when I jump into a real car I'll be quick. But on the simulator these guys are the benchmark and I have to push myself to that limit.

"So I like to push myself and test myself to learn from them, which I think also helps me in real life."

To view the full list on entrants and their drivers for next weekend's 2021 virtual Le Mans 24 Hours, click here.

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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.