Atze Kerkhof of Team Redline: 'Sim racing is a level playing field'
Published on 03 May 2025 by Niels Hendrix
Team Redline, the sim racing branch of Verstappen.com Racing, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Over the years Team Redline has fought its way to the top of the competitive esports racing world and now has an impressive list of titles to its name. Max Verstappen, who is closely involved with Team Redline and occasionally competes in sim racing, has placed his trust in Atze Kerkhof to lead Verstappen.com’s sim racing team.
This is the third of three parts in a special Verstappen.com interview with Atze. Catch up on part one and part two here. Part three features the transition from virtual to real racing, simulators for professional drivers, the opportunities, and the future of Team Redline.
This year, Chris Lulham made the switch from sim racing to GT racing, making his debut in the GT World Challenge with Verstappen.com Racing as part of Team Redline. Atze, did you imagine 15 years ago that it would be possible to move from virtual to real-world racing?
“Absolutely. I actually tried it myself back then, attempting to move from iRacing into Formula 3. I know it’s possible. If you’re truly skilled in sim racing, you already have an advantage in real racing. You’ve already mastered the driving technique. The difference lies in the physical aspect, and of course, you have to be able to overcome the fear of flying around the track at 300 km/h.”
“That step has always been possible,” Atze explains, before pointing out where it often falls apart:
“In real-world racing, it always comes down to securing a budget. That’s the major drawback of real racing. But if the story is compelling and the commercial side adds up, then making the jump from sim to real racing is absolutely within reach.”
One of the rare examples is Chris Lulham, who comes from Team Redline’s own talent pool and has been sim racing full-time for five years. Atze elaborates: “Thanks in part to Max’s support, it became possible for Chris to step straight into top-level GT racing. That’s incredibly special, and extremely challenging. That’s why I have even more respect and admiration for Chris and what he’s already shown in his very first race weekend. Now it’s about building step by step towards top results.”
With Verstappen.com Racing Pro Simulation, the virtual world is brought closer to reality than ever before. What exactly does this project involve? Atze, who started the initiative ten years ago under the name ‘Adrenaline Control’, explains: “We’ve got two high-end simulators: one for GT and one for Formula racing, which have been used for years by drivers in categories like F4, F3, F2 and Formula Renault. We operate at an extremely high level. The simulators have been developed and refined down to the smallest detail.”
This year, the project has Atze’s full attention. He shares: “For the past four years, I’ve been spending most of my time on Formula 1 circuits for work, while running this company from a distance. But this year, together with Verstappen.com Racing, we’ve decided to fully integrate it and rebrand the programme as Verstappen.com Racing Pro Simulation, to position our professional virtual training platform in the market using the simulators we already have in place.”
“The world’s best junior drivers fly in to train with us in Tilburg, either with our Verstappen.com Racing Pro Simulation instructors or alongside their own engineers. It’s top-level preparation for race weekends, test days, or new categories they’re stepping into. Some are karters making the move to Formula 4. It’s a truly unique pathway that supports drivers from their very first steps in motorsport all the way through to the final stages of their careers. They all walk through our doors.”
The impact of professional virtual training is undeniable, and it’s become indispensable, as Atze confirms: “It’s been incredibly successful, with many drivers in recent years progressing all the way to Formula 1. Professional simulator training is now an essential part of a driver’s development. That’s why it’s so important to have a top-tier simulator setup, complete with highly realistic car models.”
With costs in real-world motorsport continuing to rise, simulators are more relevant than ever.
“Racing at the top level is getting increasingly expensive—Formula 2, for example, involves millions. But the actual track time for a driver is very limited, with only three test days allowed. That makes simulator work absolutely crucial in preparation. We’ve built a comprehensive and highly professional team dedicated to sim training, with deep expertise in data analysis and simulation coaching. We see a bright future ahead with Verstappen.com Racing Pro Simulation.”
The Team Redline community has seen tremendous growth in recent years, thanks to consistent effort and engagement. Atze explains: “We’ve been streaming more frequently and are much more active on social media, and that’s really paying off. We want to keep building on that momentum. There’s still a lot of room to grow and many opportunities ahead. In that sense, the sky is the limit, we’ve got some fantastic personalities in the team, and of course, Max as our ambassador."
Atze circles back to a core principle that held true 25 years ago and remains just as relevant today. “We have so many ways to inspire people to start racing, and sim racing is the best example of that. It’s an entry-level discipline: anyone can do it, and if they put in the time, they can compete at the highest level. Everyone can prove themselves, it’s a level playing field. In sim racing, all cars and engines are the same. Everyone has the same shot.”
“The more that carries over into real-world racing, the better the future looks. It builds broader support. I have to say I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished with Team Redline, how consistent we’ve been, and how we keep winning. That’s almost unreal, because the competition is absolutely brutal. The longer we can hold onto that success, the better,” Atze says, with evident pride.
So, what message does Team Redline want to share with the world? “My life motto is that if you truly stand behind something and believe you can do it, you’ll make it happen. That’s how Team Redline was born. By showing guts, just going for it, and pushing to be the best in every area. Eventually, you become incredibly good at it. That’s the mindset we live by, and the one we want to pass on.”
We've looked back at 25 years of Redline history, but looking at the future, where will Team Redline be in 25 years? “By then, we’ll be working with completely different software and hardware,” Atze predicts. “We’ll likely have virtual reality that’s so advanced it’s indistinguishable from real life, one step closer to reality itself. Real-world racing will always exist, but the experience of it will be replicated. We’re living in a fascinating time with AI and all the rapid developments happening. All of these capabilities are growing exponentially. Honestly, I don’t think I can even imagine where we’ll be 25 years from now.”
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