A passionate advocate for the merits of sim racing, Verstappen had completed thousands of virtual laps of the Nürburgring circuit, but this was surely a different kettle of fish.
It would be a textbook overtake in broad daylight, but in the strange otherness of night racing, it’s positively heartstopping.
Not a businessman or an entrepreneur, but a dyed-in-the-wool racing driver.
Its purpose now goes beyond e-sports: Verstappen sees sim racing as a genuine talent pipeline into real motorsport, with Chris Lulham providing the clearest example after progressing from Redline to GT3 racing with Verstappen Racing.
In that sense, Verstappen is a relic of an era of Formula 1 we had long thought to have finished.