IndyCar driver: "On a number of points sim racing comes close to reality"

Rinus van Kalmthout was actually supposed to make his debut in the IndyCar this year. Because of the coronavirus, however, the situation was completely different, and now he's back in the Netherlands waiting for the situation. In an interview with Motorsport.com he talks about how he now keeps the race feeling and to what extent the simulator is an example for the real thing.

"On a number of points, it's pretty much the same as the real thing. With fuel saving, tyre wear and 'dirty air' you notice that the game is quite realistic", notes van Kalmthout. "This is especially noticeable when you race in ovals. However, the handling of the car is completely different from the real thing". Van Kalmthout also experiences problems due to the time difference, as many of his competitors are just in America.

Internet connection causes accidents

"Most of those guys race from America and I race from Europe, so sometimes the internet stinks a little bit. Then I don't notice it for a moment and suddenly someone is standing in the wall". Van Kalmthout himself says he had hardly any experience with sim racing before all the events, but since the lockdown everything has gone fast.

"It actually went better than expected. It took some getting used to driving in iRacing. It is just a bit different than in real life. It takes a lot of hours and adjustments to be really fast. I don't have a simulator at home, so I train with someone else". Van Kalmthout has managed to use the simulator of Atze Kerkhof as training. "But in general it went quite well. I rode in the top-ten all the time, but unfortunately I did sink a bit at one point", the Dutchman concludes.