From simulator to Sepang: Rahul Dev shifts gears into motorsport

2026-03-13 - 00:44

N Rahul Dev, 22, has moved from simulator racing to the actual track, with a championship win in January at the Sepang International Circuit. (Bernama pic) ISKANDAR PUTERI: What started as a way to pass time during the Movement Control Order has steered N Rahul Dev onto Malaysia’s motorsport scene. The 22-year-old from Johor Bahru discovered his passion for racing in 2020, when movement restrictions forced most Malaysians to find new ways to pass the time at home. For Rahul, the spark came from Formula One – and a little encouragement from family. “My older brother loves watching F1 and would share a lot about racecars with me when we were younger,” he said. Curious to experience the thrill for himself, Rahul tried simulator racing at an esports centre. “That was really exciting and it made me want to pursue racing more seriously,” he told Bernama. Rahul, who now studies in Selangor, caught the attention of the sim-racing public in August 2023 when he competed in the Toyota Gazoo Racing (TGR) GT Cup Campus Tour Race, an esports championship. He cites former Malaysian F1 driver and national e-racing squad coach Alex Yoong Hanifah as a major influence on his motorsport ambitions. In fact, it was Yoong himself who encouraged Rahul to join the TGR Rookie Programme 2025 – a move that paid off when he went on to win a championship at the Sepang International Circuit in January. According to Rahul, simulator training helps new drivers understand racing techniques before going onto a real circuit. (Bernama pic) The second of three siblings said simulator training has become an important stepping stone for aspiring drivers. “Drivers can analyse lap times and pinpoint sections of the track where they need to adjust their speed to improve performance,” Rahul explained. “About 80-90% of the skills from simulator racing can be transferred to real racing. The rest comes down to physical endurance and how well the driver adapts to actual track conditions.” Despite his early success, Rahul remains focused on balancing racing with his studies. He has been on a break from his American degree transfer programme in biotechnology since July 2024, but plans to resume his studies in the middle of this year.