Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar recently swapped their Formula 1 machinery for a sim racing seat in a NASCAR challenge alongside Red Bull athlete Connor Zilisch.
The challenge was simple: tackle the Miami International Autodrome circuit in the virtual NASCAR machine and see who could set the fastest lap time.
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Zilisch, who currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series in the No. 88 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Trackhouse Racing, was the first to take the sim racing wheel. “This must be so horrendous in this car at the chicane,” Verstappen remarked while watching the onboard footage.
The lack of grip and cold tyres eventually caught out the American, who suffered a 360-degree spin. After the spin, Zilisch aborted his first run and eventually managed to set a benchmark time of 2m01.87s.
Next up was Hadjar, who quickly discovered that controlling a NASCAR stock car is no easy feat. “It’s a weird position,” he said as he took to the seat.
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The 21-year-old had multiple collisions with the race wall. “It’s so difficult. This is going to be fun,” Hadjar said to Verstappen, who was up next.
When it came to Verstappen’s turn to step into the sim rig, the Dutchman opted for a different approach: driving in his socks. “I cannot drive with shoes, though, so I need to take them off,” the four-time F1 champion explained before starting his lap.
Hadjar revealed it was “a lot” harder than he expected before asking Zilisch if it was realistic. The NASCAR driver explained: “Honestly, it’s less grip in real life.”
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Unsurprisingly, Verstappen adapted to the new virtual machinery quickly, despite clipping the wall a couple of times.
Verstappen managed to beat Zilisch to take the victory with a time of 2m01.11s. Zilisch followed in second with 2m01.87s, while Hadjar failed to set a time.
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