During his trip to Formula One’s Miami Grand Prix, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr met with four-time Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen. Though he didn’t get to say it to Verstappen face-to-face, on the latest episode of the Dale Jr Download, Earnhardt revealed what he wished he could’ve said to the Dutch racing superstar.
During his interaction with the Red Bull racing driver, Earnhardt was initially inclined to thank Verstappen personally for the positive impact he had made on the perception of the world of Sim Racing.
Earnhardt, one of the first NASCAR drivers to consistently use and promote Sim Racing programs and an executive director at iRacing, went on to compliment the 27-year-old for promoting Sim Racing programs.
“I had thought to say [to Verstappen], ‘Dude, I have a big appreciation for what you do for Sim Racing because 20 years ago when I tried to tell my team that Sims were cool and they were helpful or the simulator or a static rig or all that s*** would be very important for us to pay attention to. They laughed,” said Earnhardt. “And now they’re all spending millions of dollars.”
When he is not racing across the globe, Verstappen can often be found at home and even on the road, sim racing in iRacing. As one of the top faces in motorsports and worldwide sports, Verstappen and his Sim Racing team, Team Redline, continue to legitimize Earnhardt’s opinion that Sim Racing is a valuable asset for any driver.
“He’s [Verstappen] at the top, or near the top, depending on where you are in the fan base, of the F1 world, and F1 to me is at the top of the Motorsports world. And so it’s global. It’s beyond global. There’s f***ing aliens out there watching F1. And so, he legitimizes iRacing, let alone Sim Racing.” — Dale Earnhardt Jr
Earnhardt went on to reveal that rather than thank his fellow driver for the support, he instead opted to ask Max about racing in the rain. The NASCAR Hall of Famer jokingly reflected, “Maybe I wasted my opportunity of conversation on something frivolous.”
As Earnhardt awaits his return to NASCAR TV at the May 25 Coca-Cola 600, the former driver turned NASCAR media member headed to Miami for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix this past weekend. Earnhardt, who was attending an F1 race for the first time, expressed that he had a wonderful time at the race on this episode.
However, this experience didn’t change his allegiance in racing. Earnhardt said on the podcast that though he loves NASCAR, he undeniably respects Formula One and those legendary drivers who worked to make their way to the top of that ladder.
As he puts it, “NASCAR to me is the greatest thing in the world, but I do feel like that if you get to F1, you must be one great f****ing race car driver. . . And so, you know, in my mind, Michael Schumacher, [Ayrton] Senna, those guys are gods.”
Let us know your thoughts on this! Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.
