Can a 360° video make you feel closer to the action of Formula 1 racing? We recently came across a high-quality VR video that offers an exciting way to experience Formula 1 racing from a whole new perspective.
Curious about what it feels like to step into a virtual F1 cockpit? Read on to discover our experience trying it out and what made this 360° video so enjoyable.
Table of Contents
What Is Red Bull F1 VR / 360° Video Experience?
Created by VIEMR, the video features Red Bull’s RB8 Formula 1 race car driven by Sébastien Buemi during Gamma Racing Day at TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands. The event attracted approximately 82,000 spectators.
The footage captures the excitement of a real motorsport demonstration through a 360-degree perspective. Rather than being a conventional racing game, it is an immersive video experience that lets viewers explore the recorded scene by changing their viewing direction and give us more freedom to look around the scene.
You can watch the video on YouTube using a compatible device, making it accessible even if you do not own a dedicated VR headset.
Our Experience: A Virtual Seat Inside an F1 Car
What we enjoyed most about this VR video was how it made us feel as though we were sitting inside a Formula 1 cockpit. The experience felt surprisingly real and offered a different perspective from watching an F1 race on a regular screen.
The roaring sound of the F1 engine was another highlight. Hearing that powerful engine noise while viewing the surroundings made the experience more engaging and helped us appreciate the atmosphere of motorsport.
We also loved being able to look around freely in 360 degrees. We could turn left, right, forward and backward to explore the scenery around us, rather than being limited to a fixed camera angle. This freedom made the experience feel more personal, as we could decide where to look and what to explore.
Another thing that pleasantly surprised us was that we did not experience any motion sickness or feel like throwing up while watching the video. We had expected that a first-person racing perspective might feel uncomfortable, but the experience was surprisingly enjoyable for us. Perhaps the high-quality visuals helped make the experience feel more comfortable, although motion sickness can vary from person to person. Either way, we were happy that we could enjoy the experience without feeling nauseous.
And the best part? We could experience it all over again. Unlike attending a real motorsport event, we could replay the video as many times as we wanted, enjoying the cockpit perspective and engine sounds whenever we felt like it.
For us, that replayability is one of the most appealing aspects of VR video experiences. It gives us the freedom to revisit an exciting moment and discover details we might have missed the first time around.
What Could Be Better?
The biggest limitation is that this is a recorded video rather than an interactive racing simulator. You cannot control the car, choose your racing line or influence what happens during the experience.
The overall experience also depends on the video quality, the device you use and how comfortably you can view the footage. A VR headset may provide a more immersive viewing experience, but it does not automatically turn a 360° video into a fully interactive VR application.
These limitations are worth considering if you are expecting something closer to a dedicated Formula 1 VR game.
How to Watch the Experience
You can watch the original video here:
As for us, we tried the experience using two different setups. First, we used the Meta Quest 3 with the YouTube VR app, which allowed us to enjoy the 360° footage in a more immersive VR environment.
We also tried it with a VRG Pro mobile VR headset paired with a smartphone running the YouTube app. This provided an alternative way to enjoy the video without relying on a standalone VR headset.
Both setups gave us a way to explore the 360° surroundings, making it possible to look around and enjoy the virtual F1 cockpit perspective. If you already own a compatible VR headset or a mobile VR viewer, this video is worth trying for yourself.
Keep in mind that the viewing experience may vary depending on your device, video quality and playback settings.
Final Verdict: Is Red Bull F1 VR Worth Watching?
Red Bull F1 VR / 360° Video Experience is an interesting example of how immersive video can bring viewers closer to motorsport. Its main strength is the freedom to explore a recorded racing environment rather than being restricted to a conventional camera angle.
It is not a substitute for an interactive racing simulator, and it cannot recreate the physical sensations of driving a Formula 1 car. Nevertheless, it demonstrates how 360° video can make sports content more engaging and offer a different perspective on real-world events.
Our verdict: Worth exploring if you enjoy motorsport, 360° videos or discovering practical applications of virtual reality beyond gaming.
For virtual travel and immersive experiences, the broader lesson is simple: VR does not always need a complex game or interactive application to offer a new way of experiencing the world. Sometimes, a different perspective is enough to make familiar content feel fresh.
Lastly…
Want to discover more immersive experiences, virtual travel apps and useful gear? Explore our Virtual Travel Reviews Hub for more reviews and recommendations to help you get the most out of virtual travel.
About The Author
