Can Sim Drivers Be FAST in a Real Race Car?

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Just how realistic is sim racing? Well, Callum our producer here - and an avid sim racer - compares the sim to his experience in real-racing in the Caterham Academy.

Callum's onboard!

If you want to get faster in the sim, check out the Driver61 sim racing course

So, how close is sim racing to the real-world, what are the differences and if you’re fast in a sim, will you be fast in a real-world car?

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[Kombivar]

Big congratulations on Callum's maiden win in racing, more amazing is it was his first race! What a way to start! Thanks for another great upload!!

[justpoppinthings]

I'm 36 years old, I used to Autocross, now I just do sim racing after I was disabled. Even tho you technically use different senses, you still learn basics such as racing lines, braking, aero along with other basics. G-force can be a nightmare to people not used to it but the general idea is there, you can learn to race in a sim

[StevenYanni]

I’m a 2.7k driver in iRacing. Had some few track days after only having experienced the sim and I felt that I was in my natural spot. I can push the car and understand it’s grip and load even though it was my first time. Sim racing is getting closer and closer for sure

I’m hoping iRacing eventually gets wet driving right. I believe that after all this wait they will eventually get it right

[BiggCliph]

I do think there’s a significant jump in realism from monitor sim racing to VR sim racing. I’m too poor to afford VR but it looks so much more immersive! The sense of speed looks crazy

[FMike]

Sim drivers are all just training for when they get the chance to do the real thing

[johnmadigan]

I've been Sim racing for a number of years, and for the last couple years I jumped into real cars on track, immediately I was on the pace, I new what I needed to do to go fast, the only big difficulty was the "fear", real world consequences, and then getting used to more feedback, learning to react to what you feel in your arse. I'd say Sim racing is 60-80% there.

[trivialtrav]

I get last place in both. Very accurate.

[blinnet]

I didn’t expect to end up in a Driver61 video, but congrats on the win Callum! Hope to see you in July at Thruxton! 🏎️🏎️

[codygrams]

This would be fun to do. I'm at 5.8K in Iracing VR only. Almost exclusively with F3 and a few other open wheelers. Wish I could afford a couple track days in an open wheeler just to see how far off pace i'd be. I've literally never raced anything onroad before in real life. Maybe someday if I hit the lottery!!

[yerrie]

David Perel has great video's on how his real life Ferrari GT3 compares with the Sim and how it helped him from amateur to professional ferrari driver. Many more like him including Verstappen telling the same story. One of the many things that also helps is driving in traffic practice, specially in multiclass and rolling restarts for example as Max even shows in F1. There is no doubt that Sim Racing has a lot of realistic aspects in driving and race tactics

[owenoseroff]

Im 18 now, I started karting at 11, but there was about a 1 1/2 year spell between early '20 to mid '21where I couldn't race do to financial reasons. So I started sim racing, it was for fun at first but as the first year past I started to get more serious about it. meanwhile my dad had no idea what affect it would have until we started racing again in the middle of '21 I was in a new, older class and I was immediately on the pace. my dad was shocked and frankly so was I but I then started to realize the great affect the sim had. especially throughout the last year as I have started racing SPEC Miata. at the start when I just did a couple of track days with an instructor the feed back at the end if the day was that every time the car stepped out I knew just how much throttle and steering input to give, but also that I absorb on track feedback almost instantly which when I heard him say these things I immediately thought that sim racing was the reason for this.

[blairmcconachie]

congrats on the win! I came 2nd in my first academy race, started a rivalry which lasted 3 seasons and lots of very good racing.enjoy your academy season.

[andrewcarlson]

Congratulations on the first I won my first real sanctioned race as an adult. Instantly hooked! Well done Callum!

[georgypadalko]

It’s great to see that despite heavy workload with serious stuff on the overdrive channel Scott still finds some time for this nice side project!

[alecmillea]

In terms of getting up to speed quickly in sim racing there are solutions. I bought 4 bass shakers and a 4 channel 200w amp for $180. I downloaded simhub and now I have full 4 channel (one for each tire) vibration feedback to tell me progressive tire slip, road textures, engine vibration and more. Everything you’d feel in a real car minus the G force. Where it used to take me 10-30 laps to get up to speed depending on familiarity with the car and track now a new car takes me less than 10 laps and going back to a car and track combo I know I’m up to speed in 2 laps. Combined with VR to provide depth perception and good surround sound headphones almost all the downfalls of sim racing as stated in the video can be overcome. Sustained G force is yet to be though.

[MRSPORTYTRUCKER]

You need to try rfactor 2, its a little buggy but has the best physics and has proper rain and wet and dry lines

[ryansnyder]

Great vid! Congrats Callum! And a thumbs up to the guy at the 12:50 mark who also avoided the carnage AND gave you back the position he could have "stolen". I do iRacing and a lot of actual racing with 24hrs of Lemons racing here in the US. There can be a fair amount of carnage and definitely a lot of slower moving cars to avoid on track. IDK why but it's seems much easier to avoid the carnage in real life than in the sims.

[KayoMichiels]

9:11 rFactor 2? It has full wet weather simulation of grip and even rubbered in grip (or lack thereof).

[idontneedthis]

Wow that's outstanding Callum!

As others have said, adding VR to the mix can really take it up a notch. The situational awareness is night and day.

[jamiebray]

This was a great video y'all 😀 THANKS 👍! Congratulations Callum, watching your journey was awesome 👍