In May, big wave surfer Kai Lenny was invited by his sponsors Tag Heuer and Red Bull to compete in the Virtual F1 Monaco Grand Prix. Lenny has always been a fan of F1, and this was his first time SIM Racing. It just happened to be alongside all of his favorite professional F1 racers.
If you've ever wondered why all of Kai's boards follow the same blue and red design, it's all because of his affinity with F1. His entire quiver, including shortboards, foils, tow in boards, and guns have the same racing style, acting as a competitive motivator for him.
Kai Lenny practicing for the Virtual F1 Monaco Grand Prix. - WSL / Ridge Lenny
Though he didn't end up getting the result he wanted in the Virtual Monaco Grand Prix, Kai compared the learning curve for SIM racing to surfing.
"If you're learning how to surf, and you start in Waikiki beach but then you get a wildcard to go to the Pipeline Masters, you're not going to be able to do it. Not in a week at least. It would be a dream come true to drive a real formula one car."
With the help of fellow Red Bull team members, Max Verstappen and Alex Albon, Lenny was able to learn the tricks of the trade in just a week and a half. And given the list of accomplishments Lenny has under his belt, we're not surprised he picked it up so quickly. Here's exactly how he did it.
How Kai Lenny Learned To Drive A Virtual F1 Car In Just Over A Week
Bryan Benattou
In May, big wave surfer Kai Lenny was invited by his sponsors Tag Heuer and Red Bull to compete in the Virtual F1 Monaco Grand Prix. Lenny has always been a fan of F1, and this was his first time SIM Racing. It just happened to be alongside all of his favorite professional F1 racers.
If you've ever wondered why all of Kai's boards follow the same blue and red design, it's all because of his affinity with F1. His entire quiver, including shortboards, foils, tow in boards, and guns have the same racing style, acting as a competitive motivator for him.
Though he didn't end up getting the result he wanted in the Virtual Monaco Grand Prix, Kai compared the learning curve for SIM racing to surfing.
"If you're learning how to surf, and you start in Waikiki beach but then you get a wildcard to go to the Pipeline Masters, you're not going to be able to do it. Not in a week at least. It would be a dream come true to drive a real formula one car."
With the help of fellow Red Bull team members, Max Verstappen and Alex Albon, Lenny was able to learn the tricks of the trade in just a week and a half. And given the list of accomplishments Lenny has under his belt, we're not surprised he picked it up so quickly. Here's exactly how he did it.
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