Max Verstappen grabbed pole in Imola, then went back to racing

Max Verstappen captured pole at the F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, but his racing day was not over

In case you needed a reminder of just how much Max Verstappen loves racing — whether real or virtual — you were given one on Saturday.

Verstappen fought off the field at the Formula 1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at historic Imola, qualifying on pole for the eighth straight F1 race. That mark, which dates back to last season’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, saw Verstappen match a record set by the legendary Ayrton Senna. Verstappen pulled level with the legendary driver’s record on a week where the sport is honoring both Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, who tragically lost their lives in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, also held at Imola.

But Verstappen’s racing day was not done.

Because Team Redline, the iRacing team Verstappen competes for in the Sim Racing world, is entered in this weekend’s iRacing 24 Hours Nürburgring. So when Verstappen finished qualifying, as well as all his media duties, at Imola he hopped into a sim racing rig to put in his shift for the team:

There is Verstappen, fresh off a long day at the track, putting in some time in the sim racing world. If you want to follow along, Team Redline is currently streaming their side of the 24 Hours Nürburgring on their Twitch channel, which you can view here.

What’s the old expression? “Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life?”

That certainly applies to one of F1’s living legends.