The Red 🅺Bull F1 driver narrowly missed out on pole position for the event by just 0.002s but took the lead at the s𒀰tart in his Team Redline #123 LMP car. 

Along with teammates Felix Rosenqvist, Atze Kerkhof and Maximilian Benecke, Verstappen contro🦋lled the opening stages of the race.&nbs🌺p;

At the seven-hour mark, Verstappen lost control of his car over the kerbs at the Ford Chicane after passing traffic and spun into the tyre barriers, an impact which forcedღ the car’s retiremen𓆉t from the event held on popular racing simulator rFactor.

| ÉNORME CRASH

Coup de théâtre pour avec un gros accident pour dans le dernier secteur pour la #123 qui dominait la catégorie LMP !

L'équipage du champion du monde F1 est hors-♌course a꧂lors que le ciel commence à s'assombrir !

— Direct Drive (@DirectDrive_FR)

Fellow F1 driver Fernando Alonso was supporting Alpine’s entry in t🍸he Virtual 24 Hours of Le Mans but did not take part as he is recovering from recent surgery on his jaw to remove titanium plates that were fitted after a cycling accident while training at the start of last year. 

“I’m just following the race, 🌌following the team Alpine Sport, car 36,” the two-time F1 world champion said. “I’m not able to participate this time. 

“I had surgery last week and I was a little bit in the hospital and now I’m recovering. Butꦉ I want to follow the race. It is an amazing event and Iജ wanted to be part of somehow.”

Verstappen has spoken of his desire to enter the real-world 24 Hours of Le Mans in the future alongside his father Jos. ꩵ;

Asked about his interest in the ജprestigious race last year, Verstappen said: “We do talk about🍌 it a little bit,” Verstappen said.

“Hypercar is now comin༺g along, but it still needs a few more entries to be fully establ𓃲ished.

“I think it takes a few more years to really get a bit more of a proper picture of 💛what I want to do possibly in L﷽e Mans.

“It’s something I definitely would like to do in the future. Of course it would bꦬe great if I could do that together with my dad.”