F1 News: Max Verstappen wins 24-hour race, caps off victory at Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Three-time F1 champion Max Verstappen scored a tense victory at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix and also won the virtual Nurburgring 24 Hours race the same weekend.

Last weekend, Max Verstappen achieved a rare and impressive double victory. Not only did the Red Bull Racing star take the top podium spot at the physically demanding Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, he also took victory in the virtual Nürburgring 24 Hours with Team Redline.

The challenge of juggling intense F1 race weekends with commitment to virtual endurance events is huge. Despite a tricky start to the first session at the iconic Imola circuit, Verstappen maintained his lead from pole position and held off the rapidly closing in Lando Norris on the final laps.

Alongside his physical racing activities, Verstappen took part in a 24-hour virtual race as part of Team Redline. Verstappen’s team consisted of four drivers, including himself, who managed the virtual car through a series of shifts, ultimately leading to victory.Verstappen Comment on Autosport Ahead of the race weekend:

“This is a 24-hour race and I think there are four people in the car, but of course there’s not a lot of time on Saturday night and Sunday morning.

”[I have] If you do it, it will take about 2 to 4 hours. It depends a little bit on what happens over time.

“Of course, in order to start Sunday well-rested, you have to get to bed on time and get many hours of sleep. Deciding what to do on Saturday night is up to everyone. You can’t go out to dinner or you can do something crazy…

“Since I have free time, I think I’m professional enough to see for myself what’s okay and what’s not.

The current F1 champion continued:

”[If something goes wrong on Sunday] they would say so. It doesn’t matter to me anyway. Like I said, I think I’m professional enough to know what can and can’t be done. If you don’t sleep well, it won’t be good for Sunday’s race. But I think I know what to do from years of experience.

“I always do it. I’ve been playing games the last few races. None of it really matters. But people don’t talk about it because I don’t talk about it. This time I did.”