Verstappen is 'as competitive as the plague' in simulator testing

Formula 1 drivers are spending more time in the simulators than ever before. They have become so realistic and useful for the drivers to not only learn different circuits but also to test different setups. Drivers now have special simulator trainers in order to ensure they are getting the most out of each session. 

Atze Kerkhof, trains Max Verstappen in the simulator and is a very good sim racer himself. Kerkhof is tasked with the role of helping the young Red Bull driver with his practice on the screen. As would be expected, Kerkhof reveals how competitive Verstappen gets: 

"In his third round he has been blasting out for a while and I just have to work hard for a whole session," Kerkhop said to the Dutch Motorsport.com "It is very difficult to keep up with him. And of course, he is as competitive as the plague. As soon as his time is improved, he works even harder to get back the record. "

As with every coach to athlete relationship, it is important that the two parties trust each other. 

"I think he just has a very good feeling," Verstappen said. "What I particularly like about Atze is that he is very constant. And also constantly fast. There are of course more guys who can run a fast lap on iRacing, but over a race distance most of them are hit and miss, but Atze makes very few mistakes, but I like to see how constantly Atze manages to deliver his lap times, which is something for me to push on the simulator, to get as constant as he is.

"I can of course also run a fast lap on the simulator, but to be very constant - maybe a tenth slower or a tenth faster - is perhaps the most difficult thing about winning races."

However, being fast on the simulator never directly relates to being fast on the track. Verstappen revealed that Kerhop does have some driving experience but his expertise remains in the simulator. 

"He did a test in a Formula 3 car once. But if you haven't really grown up in racing, in the physical form, then it seems more difficult to me", says Verstappen. "Atze used to do short track before, and then he started sim-racing. And he got a very good grasp of that. Whether he is going fast in a real car, I don't know, but if he had continued to just continue he would be very successful at that."

As technology continues to improve it is likely that simulators will become even more realistic and help aid drivers even further.