Verstappen took initiative for the virtual Imola Grands Prix: "Max came up with the idea himself"

When news surfaced that the Grand Prix at Imola was canceled, Max Verstappen didn't raise his hands in defeat. The Dutch driver immediately came up with the idea of organizing a virtual Grand Prix, as Atze Kerkhof reveals. Together with Team Redline, the Red Bull Racing driver set up the virtual sim race, which will take place on Sunday. It will be live-streamed, and the aim is to raise money for the affected region of Emilia-Romagna.

Verstappen immediately took action when he heard that the Formula 1 race at Imola was canceled. "On Wednesday afternoon, news surfaced that the Grand Prix would not be taking place, and then Max himself came up with the idea to organize a sim race so that there would still be something for the fans to enjoy this weekend. The goal is also to draw attention to what is happening in Emilia-Romagna and to support the people affected by the severe weather," so Kerkhof begins his story to Motorsport.com. "This is truly happening because Max took the initiative."

The two-time Formula 1 world champion himself will participate in the sim race, as well as Formula 2 driver Richard Verschoor. "Max himself will, of course, participate, and there will be a considerable number of Red Bull Junior Team members present, including Enzo Fittipaldi, Ayumu Iwasa, Arvid Lindblad, Jak Crawford and Isack Hadjar," Kerkhof, who will also participate, reveals. The aim is to have a grid of twenty-five to thirty drivers. Drivers from other categories and Team Redline drivers will also be in action during the virtual Grands Prix this weekend.

Kerkhof explains what the event will look like. "We will have four consecutive races at the Imola circuit, each with a different car. We will have one race with a Formula 3, one with a Formula Ford, one with a Mazda MX-5, and one race with a Toyota GR86. Max has chosen these cars because they are not too difficult to handle in the game, they are fun to drive, and they can provide entertaining races for viewers. Because our primary goal is to ensure that the races are enjoyable to watch, Max has selected these four cars."

Raising money for Emilia-Romagna

The ultimate goal of the sim race is to raise donations for the Emilia-Romagna region, which is an area severely affected by heavy rainfall and the location where the Imola Grand Prix would have been held. "We will support the same initiative as AlphaTauri. As you know, that team is based in Faenza, which has also been hit hard. We will display a link and QR code during the stream that can be used to donate to the relief fund. We will encourage everyone watching to make a donation."

Characteristic of Verstappen

According to Kerkhof, the fact that Verstappen immediately came up with the idea to participate virtually when the Grand Prix was canceled is characteristic of the Dutch driver. Kerkhof observes that Verstappen truly lives for racing, both in the physical and virtual realms. "Max invests a lot of time and energy into racing outside of Formula 1 as well. The fact that he immediately started thinking about organizing an alternative event after the race in Imola was canceled speaks volumes in that regard."

However, it involves a lot of coordination. "Verstappen.com Racing and Team Redline have joined forces to make this event happen. Verstappen.com Racing, in turn, receives support from Red Bull, which helped bring some of these drivers together. So, yes, it is a lot of work, but the collaboration between Verstappen.com Racing and Team Redline makes it much easier."