Max Verstappen and Chris Lulham claimed a historic victory in the ninth round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS 9), securing the top spot in the #31 Ferrari 296 GT3 entered by Emil Frey Racing (Verstappen.com Racing).
On his GT3 debut, Verstappen led the opening stint with metronomic pace, handing the car to Lulham, who managed traffic and yellow flag zones to complete a flawless run and take the checkered flag over 24 seconds ahead of the nearest rivals. This result marked a remarkable milestone for both drivers, each with deep roots in simracing and virtual motorsport before transitioning to real-life racing success.
Max Verstappen: F1 World Champion and Simracing Enthusiast
Max Verstappen, Red Bull’s four-time Formula 1 World Champion, has always been vocal about his passion for simracing and often spends hours in his custom-built home simulator—a professional-grade cockpit equipped with direct drive wheels, hydraulic pedals, and triple screen or VR setups. Verstappen’s dedication to virtual motorsport feeds his competitive edge on real-world circuits, making him one of a handful of elite drivers who bridge the gap between the two worlds.
Despite racing Ferrari in endurance competition, Verstappen remains fiercely loyal to Red Bull in Formula 1—a paradox made possible by the flexibility of GT racing, where top F1 pilots occasionally crossover to rival manufacturers for select events.
Chris Lulham: Simracing Prodigy to GT3 Winner
Chris Lulham, born in 2003, started his racing journey in karting, winning the 2016 IAME Euro Series and the CIK-FIA Karting Junior World vice-championship before budget constraints led him into simracing. Lulham joined Team Redline and quickly established himself among the world’s best, capturing victories in the iRacing Nürburgring 24 Hours and 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual.
His success online launched a return to physical racing with a dominant season in the 2024 Radical Cup UK (16 wins out of 18 races), paving the way for his 2025 campaigns in GT World Challenge and endurance racing. Lulham maintains his roots in simracing with a high-end simulator cockpit at home, featuring direct drive tech, motion platforms, and telemetry displays—tools that hone his skills for both digital and real racing circuits.
Team, Car, and the Ferrari-Red Bull Paradox
Verstappen and Lulham teamed up with Emil Frey Racing under the Verstappen.com Racing banner, piloting the Ferrari 296 GT3, one of the most advanced GT3 machines of its generation.
The paradox of Verstappen, an active Red Bull F1 ace, winning in a Ferrari GT car caused a stir among fans and media. This cross-brand phenomenon highlights the collaborative, less restrictive nature of GT racing compared to Formula 1, where manufacturer exclusivity is absolute. For Lulham, the partnership with Verstappen and Ferrari marks another milestone and strengthens the bond between simracing talents and elite motorsport programs.
Simracing at Home: Cockpit Setups
- Verstappen: Uses a custom-built simracing rig featuring Simucube direct drive wheels, Heusinkveld hydraulic pedals, and a triple-screen monitor setup or VR, replicating professional race feel at home.
- Lulham: Trains with advanced sim hardware, including motion platforms, direct drive wheels, and multi-screen layouts, supporting intensive practice for global simracing championships and real-life GT events.
Lulham’s Journey to GT Racing
Before competing in GT racing, Lulham’s career spanned karting, simracing, and a standout season in the Radical Cup UK. He made a single-seater debut in British F4, followed by a period heavily focused on virtual racing, which ultimately enabled his self-funded move back to physical competition.
His rise from Team Redline’s sim squad to partnering Verstappen and scoring victories in world-class endurance events is a testament to the new era of motorsport, where virtual and real racing seamlessly converge.
Conclusion
The NLS 9 triumph by Verstappen and Lulham is a landmark moment for modern motorsport. It underscores how simracing mastery and elite driving unite at the highest levels, with both drivers leveraging world-class home simulators and embracing new racing challenges.
Verstappen’s dual commitment to Red Bull and Ferrari epitomizes the fluid boundaries in contemporary GT racing and signals a bright future for simracing talent making the leap to real-life success.
F1 drivers’ simulators:
- Lando Norris
- Charles Leclerc
- George Rusell
- Carlos Sainz
- Checo Perez
- Fernando Alonso
- Antonio Giovinazzi
- Max Verstappen
- Oscar Piastri
- Liam Lawson
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