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Verstappen on sim racing finalists: 'Incredible passion and dedication'
- Savannah Lenz
Despite the Formula 1 season being over, Max Verstappen is still working. Instead of taking a break or going on holiday, he decided to attend a sim racing event in Madrid on Saturday.
Verstappen present at sim racing event in Madrid
A well-known and decorated driver was in attendance at the Heineken Player 0.0 Global competition, which was a part of the annual GAMERGY Esports & Gaming Festival. That driver was 4-time world champion Max Verstappen. The final consisted of 18 sim racers from different countries who participated in virtually racing Circuit Zandvoort. The event was held in Madrid at IFEMA Madrid, which will host the Spanish Grand Prix from 2026 onwards.
While Verstappen did not place in the finals, he is a very passionate sim racer and thus joined them on the podium. He said, "It's incredible to see the passion and dedication of these racers. Player 0.0 continues to showcase the importance of skill, focus, and making the right choices—not just in racing, but in life."
The winner of the Player 0.0 Global Champion was Jernej Dovžan from Slovakia. He won against his rival, Japanese Yuki Okonogi. They battled it out in front of an audience while racing at Zandvoort on the sim setup. The top three then received their trophies from Verstappen himself.
This article was written in collaboration with Nicole Muller.
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