Max Verstappen is looking to defy the odds and pull off a remarkable double duty feat this weekend at Imola.
The Red Bull driver is looking to his Formula 1 commitments at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix with a potential participation in the Nürburgring 24 Hours sim race.
While appearing on a Team Redline stream, Verstappen expressed his interest in joining the team for the 24-hour race, despite it coinciding with the Imola race weekend.
Speaking on Thursday, Verstappen clarified that his involvement in the iRacing event at the Nordschleife circuit is still tentative. However, the three-time champion is confident he can manage both commitments.
Verstappen has recently received a new simulator rig, which he plans to bring to European F1 races. He highlighted that the nature of endurance racing, which involves multiple teammates, allows him the flexibility to participate intermittently without compromising his F1 responsibilities.
The Nürburgring sim race is scheduled to start on Saturday and end on Sunday. Verstappen believes this timing provides opportunities to participate in the virtual race without exhausting himself.
"It's a 24-hour race and I think there are four of us on the car. But of course, I don't have a lot of time, Saturday night and Sunday morning," Verstappen explained. "[I have] between two and four hours, if I'm going to do it. It depends a bit, how it works out with the times.
"You do have to go to bed on time and get your hours of sleep, of course, to start the Sunday well rested. You can't decide for everyone what they do on a Saturday night. People can go out for dinner, do crazy things...
"It's in my free time and I think I'm professional enough to see for myself what's OK and what's not OK."
Verstappen acknowledged that his ambitious double-duty weekend could lead to criticism in the event of a disappointing weekend at Imola.
However, the Dutchman said that sim events during a Grand Prix weekend weren’t new practice for him, also underscoring his professionalism and ability to manage his time effectively.
"[If something goes wrong on Sunday] they'll say so,” he said. “It doesn't matter to me anyway.
“Look, as I just said, I think I'm professional enough that I know what can and can't be done. If you don't go to bed and you don't sleep, it won't be good for your race on Sunday. But I think with so many years of experience I do know what to do.
"I do it all the time. I've also been gaming the last few races. None of that matters very much. But people don't talk about that because I haven't brought that up. This time I have."
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