I have a dedicated folder of replay files saved on my desktop, not to analyze my driving technique, but solely to prove to a nonexistent court of law that the incident on Lap 4 was technically the other guy's fault.
Which F1 Car launch has been your favorite so far? Email us your favorites and why.
NEWS FLASH
Pin powers up: Mercedes just promoted 2025 F1 Academy champion Doriane Pin to Development Driver for the 2026 season. After dominating the track with eight podiums and a title last year, the 22-year-old is trading her junior status for a serious role in simulator development and factory work at Brackley. She’ll also be hitting the paddock at select Grands Prix and mentoring the team’s next academy hopeful while juggling a soon-to-be-announced racing gig. Team rep Bradley Lord noted that her killer combo of speed and technical feedback made the promotion a total no-brainer.
Oh Canada, we’re going full send: We’ve officially partnered with Full Push, a Calgary-based hardware haven built by racers to eliminate those nasty import fees and slow shipping times for Canadian buyers. This authorized retailer stocks premium gear locally, ensuring you get full warranty support and fast delivery from Alberta without the usual cross-border headaches. You can support us and snag 5% off Conspit and VPG equipment right now by using code SRN5 at fullpush.ca/SRN5
Rolex 24 at it’s finest: The 64th Rolex 24 at Daytona featured a massive lineup of 60 teams and over 200 drivers, boasting motorsport heavyweights like Alex Palou, Scott Dixon, and defending champion Felipe Nasr. This endurance classic kicked off the IMSA season with a diverse field across four classes, bringing together top talent from IndyCar, NASCAR, and F1 for a grueling twice-around-the-clock battle. We hope you caught the action this weekend and enjoyed watching these racing legends leave it all on the track. More to come next week when we break down the action.
Virtual reality gets real: We’re strapping in for another year with Pimax, extending our partnership just as the VR giant launches its powerful Crystal Super and Dream Air headsets for 2026. This renewal with us coincides with Pimax becoming an official iRacing VR partner, a massive move that validates their high-end hardware as the gold standard for clarity and wide field of view. Expect exclusive member benefits to roll out all year long, feel free to drop me a DM us you have any Q’s.
🏠Race To Approval is an Ontario-based mortgage agent practice built on the same principles that define motorsport: preparation, strategy, communication, and execution. They help homeowners navigate purchases, renewals, and refinances with clarity and confidence, because the right plan matters on race day — and in real life.
SIM RACING SNIPPETS
Car selection expanding: The Assetto Corsa EVO early access roster just grew to over 80 vehicles, adding modern heavy hitters like the Ferrari SF-25 and Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (992) as the game revs up for a Summer 2026 launch. Kunos is using its in-house engine to ensure every ride in the lineup—from vintage classics to the new BMW M4 GT3 Evo—feels as authentic as possible before the full release drops.
Redline adds another ace: FIA Motorsport Games champion James Baldwin has officially signed with Team Redline, joining a powerhouse roster that already features F1 superstar Max Verstappen. The "World's Fastest Gamer" winner brings his unique blend of virtual and real-world GT experience to the squad as they look to continue their domination of the sim racing landscape in 2026.
Sim racing's newest recruit: Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen recently joked that his infant daughter Lily is already "starting early" after she tried hijacking his controller and microphone during a live stream. The Dutch superstar admitted his eight-month-old is fascinated by the bright screens, suggesting the newest member of the Piquet-Verstappen dynasty might be eyeing a virtual cockpit sooner rather than later.
MOTORSPORTS REPORT
Redlining the controversy: Honda just unveiled its RA626H engine for Aston Martin amid a spicy debate over a potential regulatory loophole involving cylinder compression ratios. While rivals whisper about bending the rules to boost power, Honda execs and Aston’s Andy Cowell admit that pushing the "room for interpretation" to the absolute limit is just part of the game.
Daytona drama heats up: High-profile owners like Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin are sweating it out as seven drivers battle for just four open spots in the Daytona 500 field. While Jimmie Johnson secured his place using a champion’s provisional to satisfy sponsors, other contenders must rely on raw speed or survive the chaotic Duel races to make the cut.
Herta hype is real: Formula 2 CEO Bruno Michel revealed that teams were scrambling to sign IndyCar star Colton Herta, driven by the massive potential shown on his impressive stateside resume. This bidding war underscores just how highly rated the American driver is as he transitions to the European ladder to chase his F1 dreams.
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PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
The Pixel-Perfect Partnership: iRacing Gets Serious With VR
This week as Grid Geeks approaches a new year long partnership with Pimax in 2026, I think it’s time we break down why they’re pushing to become industry leaders in VR and why it might be a good decision to consider trying VR now that clarity is at an all time high and headsets are now shaving off pounds.
Pimax has officially inked a deal to become the Official VR Partner of iRacing.
For the uninitiated, this isn’t just a logo swap. It’s a declaration that VR has graduated from "cool gimmick" to "competitive advantage." While other headsets chase casual gamers swinging lightsabers, Pimax has spent years obsessing over resolution, field of view (FOV), and clarity specifically for the simulation crowd.
The Reality Check
iRacing is already the gold standard for physics, but physics don't matter if you can't see the apex. The partnership with iRacing highlights exactly why the pros are increasingly ditching triple monitors for headsets:
Depth Perception: You don't just see the corner; you experience the exact distance. 2D flat screen vs 3D VR feel.
Natural FOV: No more guessing where the car beside you is or relying on a spotter. You can just turn your head (most of the time).
This isn't about immersion for immersion's sake. It's about consistency. In an endurance race, the ability to naturally judge speed and distance is the difference between a podium and the pit wall.
The Hardware Hierarchy
So, what path is right for you? Pimax is positioning two distinct paths depending on how deep your pockets are and how powerful your GPU is.
The Logical Step: Crystal Light
Think of this as the “gateway drug”. It’s designed for someone moving from a single screen or triples who wants clarity without needing a powerful supercomputer. It has high-resolution, a wide field of view and strips away the standalone fluff to focus purely on PC performance. It’s the pragmatic choice for chasing lap times without filling your room with monitors.
The "God Mode" Step: Crystal Super (Ultrawide) and the Dream Air
These is for the driver who wants to forget they are in a living room. The selling point here is the ultrawide FOV. In a race, peripheral vision is everything—it gives you the true sensation of speed and instant awareness of cars alongside you with edge to edge clarity and an even wider field of view. Any serious sim racer with an RTX 4080 or higher should seriously consider this equipment. The Ultrawide gives you the large field of view, while the Dream Air gives you a lightweight headset that packs the same optic engine and clarity as the Crystal Super.
The Verdict
Sim racing is a game of inches. With Pimax cementing itself as the dedicated tool for iRacing, the message is clear: If you’re still racing on flat glass, you might as well be driving with one eye closed. If you can handle VR, the depth perception is sensational.
MEMBER FEATURE
Curtis Mitchell’s Charity Crusade
Serving chicken and chasing flags: Meet Curtis Mitchell. By day, this 20-year-old from Brookfield, Wisconsin, is managing operations at two local Chick-fil-A spots. By night? He’s a sim racing rookie with a veteran’s vision.
While he’s a lifelong NASCAR diehard, Curtis only joined the iRacing grid last year. But don't let the lack of seat time fool you…
Racing for a Reason
Curtis isn't interested in chasing iRating clout. He’s launching the Charity Cup Series, and the model is genuinely disruptive for most leagues out there.
The Concept: A pending non-profit NASCAR league where drivers represent specific charities. Drivers compete for top-5 payouts, but the lion’s share of the prize pool is distributed directly to non-profits nationwide.
It’s a passion project rooted in his background—a pastor’s kid, drummer, and trumpeter looking to use the track as a platform for community and hope.
The Charity Cup needs fuel. Curtis is currently scouting for drivers, sponsors, and admins to turn this vision into reality. Whether you want to drive or just watch the broadcast, getting eyes on the track helps the cause.
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SRN RECAP AND UNFILTERED THOUGHTS
I’m cooking up an app. Talk soon.
🏆Join The Roster: Ready to move from the public lobbies to the broadcast stage? SRN Esports is recruiting competitive drivers with a B-Class license and a minimum 2500 iRating to join our official roster. As a team member, you'll get access to free high-tier coaching, priority for sponsored events, and a clear path to grow within a supportive group of racers. Click the link below.
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