Real Madrid club and Belgian national team goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been involved in sim racing and has just started up his own racing and esports teams. He kindly agreed to answer some questions that we had!
Rewind the clock back to early 2020 when the COVID lockdowns began taking effect, what resulted after the cancellation of major sporting events were a lot of remote alternatives. For us motorsport fans, that came in the form of sim racing events such as the F1 Virtual Grand Prix races. Many of the F1 drivers took part in those events like Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, George Russell and Alex Albon.
Alongside them though were people from many walks of life, drivers from other disciplines including Andre Heimgartner from Aussie Supercars and Jeffrey Herling from Motocross GP, online content creators such as Jimmy Broadbent and Steve 'Super GT' Alvarez Brown, and even athletes from other sports. These featured the likes of Olympic speed skating gold medallist Ted-Jan Bloeman, cricketer Ben Stokes and many footballers too, the first of whom was Thibaut Courtois.
From there, Courtois became somewhat of a regular in these races and in turn, many other footballers began competing.. with varying degrees of success. But whilst many of the players taking part could have been seen as just trying to draw in an audience, Courtois' genuine interest in racing and gaming was clear to see. Enough that he now has a team.
TC Racing was founded in June 2023 by both Courtois and former F1 driver Roberto Merhi, competing in Spanish F4 and also in the virtual to real motorsport series Prodigy Racing League. Then in November 2024, they expanded into competitive sim racing with TC Esports which got an entry into the Rennsport R1 series.
They signed a lot of high calibre talent such as multiple Gran Turismo World Series champion Coque López and former F1 Esports driver Dani Moreno, who was instrumental in Mercedes sealing the team's championship in 2021.
We had been trying to secure an interview with Courtois for a while, and thanks to his team manager Javi Guerra - formerly of Williams - we finally got a chance to chat with the legendary goalie himself.
OverTake: Hello Thibaut, whilst most people know you for football, we are fascinated by your racing efforts. What got you interested in racing and gaming?
Thibaut Courtois: "I've always been passionate about motorsport and gaming. Sim Racing in particular, has been something I've enjoyed for years. Whether it's Formula 1, endurance races or sim racing, I think I'm in love of the challenge and the precision it requires. Quite similar to what happens in football or any other sport; focus and reaction times.
Esports in general, has also been a great way to disconnect at home, have fun with family and friends, especially during busy seasons."
How did you come to be involved in the events during the COVID lockdown?
"I think we ended up following a path of doing something creative while we were locked at home. I had more time at home and sim racing became an amazing way to stay competitive, specially taking part in such big events as Virtual F1. I remember starting on a simple sim but I improved my sim setup at home over the years.
It was great to take part in Virtual F1, competing against some of the best pro drivers and other athletes while also bringing fans something to enjoy during a difficult time."
Last year, Gabriel Gomez raced for TC Racing in Spanish F4 and went on to become Formula Winter Series champion. Image: TC Racing
Your presence in those events seemed to inspire more footballers to take part, what did you make of all their efforts?
"It was great to see many footballers getting involved. I guess we all helped bring more visibility to sim racing, as well as demonstrating that sim racing has also a competitive edge and isn't just a casual thing."
Now onto your team, you have entered into Rennsport R1 and also compete in the Prodigy Racing League and Spanish F4. What made you want to enter a team into esports and racing?
"I wanted to create something that combined my passion for motorsport and gaming, so I ended up creating TC Racing and TC Esports. Our Esports team supports talented sim racers as well as real-world drivers, giving them the opportunity to compete at the highest levels, and I'm the kind of person who likes to be involved from inside: following all steps and offering my daily support.
Whether it's Rennsport, F4 or Prodigy Racing, my goal is to support and build a competitive and professional environment where drivers can develop and succeed."
You have some very high-quality drivers, what do you have to say about the talent you have onboard?
"It was a surprise to have a slot in R1 Rennsport after just three months of existence in sim racing. I am very proud of the team we have put together, with such talented drivers across different simulators. They are dedicated, hardworking and always pushing to improve.
I sometimes join sim practice sessions with the guys on F1 or iRacing, it's amazing to watch them compete and grow, and I'm also excited to see what we can achieve together in the future."
As someone who clearly likes football and motorsport, would you agree with me (Luca) that you would like to see those two worlds combined with a real life ‘Autoball’ championship?
"Hah! That would be interesting! Something like a real-life Rocket League could be fun to watch... Or quite chaotic too! Both sports (motorsport and football) require a lot of skill, teamwork, strategy... so a crossover event could definitely be entertaining. If someone organizes, please let me know! I'd love to see how it plays out."
Which other high profile people from other sports involved in sim racing would you like us to interview? Let us know in the comments and join the discussion in our motorsport forum!
Rewind the clock back to early 2020 when the COVID lockdowns began taking effect, what resulted after the cancellation of major sporting events were a lot of remote alternatives. For us motorsport fans, that came in the form of sim racing events such as the F1 Virtual Grand Prix races. Many of the F1 drivers took part in those events like Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, George Russell and Alex Albon.
Alongside them though were people from many walks of life, drivers from other disciplines including Andre Heimgartner from Aussie Supercars and Jeffrey Herling from Motocross GP, online content creators such as Jimmy Broadbent and Steve 'Super GT' Alvarez Brown, and even athletes from other sports. These featured the likes of Olympic speed skating gold medallist Ted-Jan Bloeman, cricketer Ben Stokes and many footballers too, the first of whom was Thibaut Courtois.
Thibaut Courtois: Motorsport and Gaming Passion
In football, Courtois has seen a lot of success with his current club Real Madrid, winning the UEFA Champions League in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons and also three FIFA Club World Cups in 2018, 2021 and 2022. Already a household name in the world of football, Courtois threw his figurative hat into the ring when on what would have been the weekend of the Australian Grand Prix to take part in a virtual racing event.From there, Courtois became somewhat of a regular in these races and in turn, many other footballers began competing.. with varying degrees of success. But whilst many of the players taking part could have been seen as just trying to draw in an audience, Courtois' genuine interest in racing and gaming was clear to see. Enough that he now has a team.
TC Racing was founded in June 2023 by both Courtois and former F1 driver Roberto Merhi, competing in Spanish F4 and also in the virtual to real motorsport series Prodigy Racing League. Then in November 2024, they expanded into competitive sim racing with TC Esports which got an entry into the Rennsport R1 series.
They signed a lot of high calibre talent such as multiple Gran Turismo World Series champion Coque López and former F1 Esports driver Dani Moreno, who was instrumental in Mercedes sealing the team's championship in 2021.
We had been trying to secure an interview with Courtois for a while, and thanks to his team manager Javi Guerra - formerly of Williams - we finally got a chance to chat with the legendary goalie himself.
OverTake: Hello Thibaut, whilst most people know you for football, we are fascinated by your racing efforts. What got you interested in racing and gaming?
Thibaut Courtois: "I've always been passionate about motorsport and gaming. Sim Racing in particular, has been something I've enjoyed for years. Whether it's Formula 1, endurance races or sim racing, I think I'm in love of the challenge and the precision it requires. Quite similar to what happens in football or any other sport; focus and reaction times.
Esports in general, has also been a great way to disconnect at home, have fun with family and friends, especially during busy seasons."
How did you come to be involved in the events during the COVID lockdown?
"I think we ended up following a path of doing something creative while we were locked at home. I had more time at home and sim racing became an amazing way to stay competitive, specially taking part in such big events as Virtual F1. I remember starting on a simple sim but I improved my sim setup at home over the years.
It was great to take part in Virtual F1, competing against some of the best pro drivers and other athletes while also bringing fans something to enjoy during a difficult time."
Last year, Gabriel Gomez raced for TC Racing in Spanish F4 and went on to become Formula Winter Series champion. Image: TC Racing
Your presence in those events seemed to inspire more footballers to take part, what did you make of all their efforts?
"It was great to see many footballers getting involved. I guess we all helped bring more visibility to sim racing, as well as demonstrating that sim racing has also a competitive edge and isn't just a casual thing."
Now onto your team, you have entered into Rennsport R1 and also compete in the Prodigy Racing League and Spanish F4. What made you want to enter a team into esports and racing?
"I wanted to create something that combined my passion for motorsport and gaming, so I ended up creating TC Racing and TC Esports. Our Esports team supports talented sim racers as well as real-world drivers, giving them the opportunity to compete at the highest levels, and I'm the kind of person who likes to be involved from inside: following all steps and offering my daily support.
Whether it's Rennsport, F4 or Prodigy Racing, my goal is to support and build a competitive and professional environment where drivers can develop and succeed."
You have some very high-quality drivers, what do you have to say about the talent you have onboard?
"It was a surprise to have a slot in R1 Rennsport after just three months of existence in sim racing. I am very proud of the team we have put together, with such talented drivers across different simulators. They are dedicated, hardworking and always pushing to improve.
I sometimes join sim practice sessions with the guys on F1 or iRacing, it's amazing to watch them compete and grow, and I'm also excited to see what we can achieve together in the future."
As someone who clearly likes football and motorsport, would you agree with me (Luca) that you would like to see those two worlds combined with a real life ‘Autoball’ championship?
"Hah! That would be interesting! Something like a real-life Rocket League could be fun to watch... Or quite chaotic too! Both sports (motorsport and football) require a lot of skill, teamwork, strategy... so a crossover event could definitely be entertaining. If someone organizes, please let me know! I'd love to see how it plays out."
Which other high profile people from other sports involved in sim racing would you like us to interview? Let us know in the comments and join the discussion in our motorsport forum!
