Or even if they were, the "real" drivers are trained to respond to a completely different set of sensations. The simulation can be perfect, but when you're sitting still, you don't feel things such as whether the simulated car is slipping at all (just an example, there are of course a thousand other things).
I was watching a part and yes. You're making a joke but this (plus that it wasn't for competition points; there was no point to winning) was clearly affecting the race and reduced my enjoyment because they just weren't always giving it their all.
