24-year old Sebastian Job is one of the most successful professional sim racers, and the Red Bull F1 team provided him with his first taste of a real life F1 car in one of Sebastian Vettel's championship-winning rocket.
It is safe to say that a vast majority of people who take up sim racing imagine themselves being able to drive a Formula One car at some point, but nobody really expects it to really happen. But for Sebastian Job - who races for Red Bull across various sim racing championships - this actually materialised!
Job is the reigning and 2020 champion in the Porsche Esports Supercup on iRacing, as well as being runner-up in all seasons in-between. Additionally, he just missed out on the ESL R1 driver's championship and was also a podium finisher in F1 Esports at the end of 2021. But more than that, he is also Red Bull's F1 simulator development driver.
In a private test back in October at the Red Bull Ring, Job took to the track in the 2012 Red Bull RB8 that won Sebastian Vettel his third out of four straight championships. The entire process was documented in a four-part 'Game to Glory' series that is available to watch now on Red Bull Racing's YouTube channel.
Before he could be let loose with an F1 car, Job initially drove a 911 GT3 Cup car at Snetterton. He was of course well acquainted with the virtual version of the car, being a two-time PESC champion and having won three of the last four Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB titles - although keep in mind that the iRacing rendition of the car has been heavily criticised for not being similar to how it is in real life, going off what past Carrera Cup champion Daniel Morad claims.
Sebastian Job took his extensive knowledge with the Porsche Cup car in iRacing and impressed in his real life test. Image: Rutger Pauw / Red Bull Content Pool
Job however found that driving the car the same way he had been doing in the sim proved beneficial as opposed to being more aggressive. Apparently his race run would have put him on race winning pace in comparison to the last time that the Porsche Carrera Cup GB visited Snetterton back in 2022. But of course, it would not be a straightforward process going from a 911 Cup car to an F1.
After going through some extensive physical training for a month at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Salzburg, Job arrived at the Red Bull Ring and began his program. He was given tutelage by Patrick Friesacher, who raced 11 Grand Prix for Minardi in the first part of the 2005 season.
Initially, Job would drive a Formula 4 car following Friesacher but had a tricky time of it, with fog lingering and the cold conditions meaning difficulty keeping temperature in the tyres. But later once the fog lifted, Job was able to take to the track in a Formula Renault 3.5 car and was subsequently a lot more confident to drive the F1.
Whilst we cannot measure how competitive Job was to the F1 drivers at the time of the RB8 being raced in 2012 due to the Austrian GP not returning until two years after, Friesacher did set a benchmark time of 1:16.6. After completing his runs, Job's best time was only 1.1 seconds off which, considering his inexperience in F1 cars, is very impressive.
Job reported feeling incredibly confident when driving, and who knows what this could lead to? Image: Rutger Pauw / Red Bull Content Pool
It is safe to assume that Job will not find himself in contention for the second Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen, or even at the sister RB team. He would of course need to race in junior formulae to garner the superlicence points, as opposed to 15 years ago when his first name would have been seemingly enough to get a race drive in the Red Bull family (Vettel, Bourdais, Buemi, Loeb and Ogier).
But with this opportunity, who knows where the sim racer could end up in real life racing? Job has proven he is very much capable in the real world and subsequently shows further that the virtual and real worlds of racing are getting even closer.
What do you make of Sebastian Job's Formula One test debut? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our forums!
It is safe to say that a vast majority of people who take up sim racing imagine themselves being able to drive a Formula One car at some point, but nobody really expects it to really happen. But for Sebastian Job - who races for Red Bull across various sim racing championships - this actually materialised!
Job is the reigning and 2020 champion in the Porsche Esports Supercup on iRacing, as well as being runner-up in all seasons in-between. Additionally, he just missed out on the ESL R1 driver's championship and was also a podium finisher in F1 Esports at the end of 2021. But more than that, he is also Red Bull's F1 simulator development driver.
In a private test back in October at the Red Bull Ring, Job took to the track in the 2012 Red Bull RB8 that won Sebastian Vettel his third out of four straight championships. The entire process was documented in a four-part 'Game to Glory' series that is available to watch now on Red Bull Racing's YouTube channel.
Not A Complete Novice
Job is no stranger to getting real world opportunities as a result of his escapades in a sim. Back in 2018, he did a full season in the BRSCC National Formula Ford Championship after winning the JMR Scholarship through a competition on Project CARS 2. Since then however, he has not had much real world driving experience.Before he could be let loose with an F1 car, Job initially drove a 911 GT3 Cup car at Snetterton. He was of course well acquainted with the virtual version of the car, being a two-time PESC champion and having won three of the last four Porsche Esports Carrera Cup GB titles - although keep in mind that the iRacing rendition of the car has been heavily criticised for not being similar to how it is in real life, going off what past Carrera Cup champion Daniel Morad claims.
Sebastian Job took his extensive knowledge with the Porsche Cup car in iRacing and impressed in his real life test. Image: Rutger Pauw / Red Bull Content Pool
Job however found that driving the car the same way he had been doing in the sim proved beneficial as opposed to being more aggressive. Apparently his race run would have put him on race winning pace in comparison to the last time that the Porsche Carrera Cup GB visited Snetterton back in 2022. But of course, it would not be a straightforward process going from a 911 Cup car to an F1.
After going through some extensive physical training for a month at the Red Bull Athlete Performance Centre in Salzburg, Job arrived at the Red Bull Ring and began his program. He was given tutelage by Patrick Friesacher, who raced 11 Grand Prix for Minardi in the first part of the 2005 season.
Initially, Job would drive a Formula 4 car following Friesacher but had a tricky time of it, with fog lingering and the cold conditions meaning difficulty keeping temperature in the tyres. But later once the fog lifted, Job was able to take to the track in a Formula Renault 3.5 car and was subsequently a lot more confident to drive the F1.
Job Drives The F1
Now in the RB8, Job drove the car for nine laps in short runs and unsurprisingly, it was a real assault on the senses. He had to consciously tell himself to not brake when his instincts told him to, and also avoiding being too lead-footed on the loud pedal coming out of corners so to avoid potentially spinning. There was an instance of a heavy lock-up but thankfully no real dramatics beyond that.Whilst we cannot measure how competitive Job was to the F1 drivers at the time of the RB8 being raced in 2012 due to the Austrian GP not returning until two years after, Friesacher did set a benchmark time of 1:16.6. After completing his runs, Job's best time was only 1.1 seconds off which, considering his inexperience in F1 cars, is very impressive.
Job reported feeling incredibly confident when driving, and who knows what this could lead to? Image: Rutger Pauw / Red Bull Content Pool
It is safe to assume that Job will not find himself in contention for the second Red Bull seat alongside Max Verstappen, or even at the sister RB team. He would of course need to race in junior formulae to garner the superlicence points, as opposed to 15 years ago when his first name would have been seemingly enough to get a race drive in the Red Bull family (Vettel, Bourdais, Buemi, Loeb and Ogier).
But with this opportunity, who knows where the sim racer could end up in real life racing? Job has proven he is very much capable in the real world and subsequently shows further that the virtual and real worlds of racing are getting even closer.
What do you make of Sebastian Job's Formula One test debut? Let us know in the comments below and join the discussion in our forums!
