McLaren Automotive have released a great video highlighting the benefits of testing in a Formula One simulator, even if you're not trying to make the next F1 chassis. The McLaren MP4-12C is currently in development with an expected launch in 2012, so every tweak to improve performance is highly important.

Whilst it makes sense to use the F1 simulator on a variety of cars, sharing the benefit and more importantly, the cost, it seems odd to me that they would use the F1 seat setup. You wouldn't be sitting in a road car with your feet so far forward, or at least I hope not.

Sharing simulator resources is another way that Formula One can reach out to the road car and make itself useful in a real life situation. It may be one of the most expensive road cars out there, but it is a step in the right direction for making the sport a bit more relevant. Completing mile after mile virtually is also going to be far more environmentally friendly than visiting an actual track.

Like Chris Goodwin says at the end of the video, though, there is no substitute for the real thing.