CSL DD QR2 Ready2Race F1 bundle from Fanatec

Fanatec has been a big name in the sim-racing industry for over 20 years, and the German brand is present in all segments of virtual driving. A search of the Fanatec catalog reveals equipment for GT, endurance and rally racing, as well as Formula 1.

For the entry-level, I’ve taken the CSL DD QR2 Ready2Race F1 bundle, which currently retails for €740. At this price, you get a Direct Drive CSL DD base with 8 nm of torque, an F1-licensed steering wheel and a Load Cell version of CSL Pedals. It’s a complete, high-quality, highly immersive bundle for the price, and represents the gateway to Fanatec’s catalog for virtual racers. If you think this budget is too high for you, Fanatec offers virtually the same bundle, but less immersive. The steering wheel remains the same, the base is increased to 5 nm of torque and the pedalboard loses the Load Cell, but it costs €220 less.

For the chassis, you have several options depending on your budget. Personally, I’m in favor of a Playseat Formula Instinct, which retails for €600. I think it’s a good investment for sim-racing.

The Moza R9 V3 bundle, with KS steering wheel and SR-P crankset

Moza is a rather young player in the sim-racing game, but the brand has quickly gained momentum, and also a place in the world rankings of sim-racing peripheral manufacturers.

Among the bundles offered by Moza, I chose the R9 V3 with KS steering wheel and SR-P crankset. The R9 base in version 3 has just been released, and represents an evolution of the V2. This base develops 9 nm of max torque, more than enough for beginner F1 racing. As for the KS steering wheel, it’s minimalist, with a rectangular shape and enough controls on the faceplate.

The SR-P is a quality crankset for the price it’s sold for, and with a Load Cell on the brake to boot. It’s definitely not bad for its target audience. As for price, unfortunately the bundle is not sold complete. The bill should be around €680, which is a hair less than Fanatec’s offer, but the SR-P is available in a 2-pedal version only.

Let’s finish with the cockpit. I’m thinking of keeping the Playseat Formula Instinct for this range of sim-racing setups specializing in F1, as it’s an excellent compromise between build quality, solidity and immersion. There are better products from Playseat and Fanatec, for example, but they’re more expensive, and I’d rather keep them for what comes next.

The Fanatec ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 + CSL Elite bundle

Fanatec’s big advantage over the competition is that the German manufacturer offers a number of Ready2Race bundles, targeting several categories of sim-racing drivers.

The mid-range model is the ClubSport Racing Wheel F1 with CSL Elite crankset. Here we’re talking about the ClubSport DD+ base with its 15 nm of constant torque, the officially licensed F1 steering wheel in forged carbon fiber, and the CSL Elite V2 crankset in Load Cell.

This bundle is a top performer in Formula, and will give you total immersion in racing. It retails for €1,650 if you take it with the CSL Elite V2, and if you decide to take the crankset to the next level, you get the base and steering wheel for €1,350, and the ClubSport V3 for €330.

For the chassis, use what I’ve suggested for this range, i.e. the Playseat Formula or Fanatec GT Cockpit.

Simagic Alpha Evo 12nm, FX Pro Formula and P1000 pedalboard

Like Moza Racing, Simagic is a rather young player in the sim-racing industry. The brand began selling high-performance products less than 10 years ago, and has rapidly expanded on the global market. In France, these remain niche products, due to less pronounced marketing activity on the part of distributors.

For an F1 setup, it doesn’t get much better than Simagic’s FX Pro Formula steering wheel, a wheel specially designed for single-seaters. 6 paddles on the rear, a large screen on the front, numerous controls and carbon fiber make this wheel a must-have for F1 sim-racing.

Coupled with this is one of Simagic’s new DD bases, the 12 nm Alpha Evo. This is part of a range that starts at 9 nm and goes up to 18 nm of maximum torque. The base is high-performance, stylish if you’re into RGB, and also highly reactive on the run.

The P1000 crankset is available in standard or 2-pedal versions (F). It’s an all-metal device, with Load Cell and a very racing design. This Simagic setup can be purchased separately, or as a base + steering wheel bundle for the Alpha Evo. The pedalboard, on the other hand, is sold on its own. It will cost you around €1,800, without cockpit.

Speaking of cockpits, you can use the Playseat we saw before, or go straight to the next level, namely the Playseat Formula (€1000) or the Fanatec GT Cockpit (~€1300). The Fanatec chassis is GT-typical, but modular, so it can easily be adapted to F1.

Fanatec Podium DD2, ClubSport Formula V2.5 and ClubSport Pedals V3

Now we’re clearly in the big league with the top-of-the-range Fanatec setup. This bundle combines the Podium DD2 base, ClubSport Formula V2.5 steering wheel and ClubSport V3 crankset, for a Formula 1 driving experience as realistic as it is intense.

The Podium DD2 baseplate is quite simply the most powerful in the Fanatec catalog, with its 25 Nm of continuously available torque. It’s a war machine, capable of transcribing every vibration, every loss of grip, every irregularity of the circuit. It’s the kind of base you’ll find in professional sim-racing or in some racing stables for training purposes.

The ClubSport Formula V2.5 is a direct evolution of the famous Formula V2 steering wheel. It offers an exemplary finish with its carbon fiber, multiple controls and magnetic rear paddles. Its compact shape and ergonomic design make it an ideal choice for F1 fans who want realistic sensations. It’s a steering wheel designed for precision and performance, and its looks alone command respect.

On the crankset side, we finally switch to the ClubSport V3, far more advanced than the mid-range CSL Elite V2. It features a highly precise Load Cell, an integrated vibration system, and aluminum construction worthy of real racing equipment. Brake pedal resistance is customizable thanks to an elastomer system, allowing you to adjust hardness to suit your riding style.

This complete setup sells for around €2,200, without chassis. At this price point, performance is monstrous, while remaining a little more affordable than a Simucube equivalent. For the chassis, you can stick with those offered in the mid-range – the Playseat Formula or the Fanatec GT Cockpit – but if you’re aiming for perfection, the Playseat Formula Intelligence will be the ideal companion… provided your banker can survive the bill approaching €6,000 for the whole package.

Simucube GSI x Sport/Pro bundle, + Fanatec crankset

Simucube doesn’t really need an introduction to sim-racing, and we all know why. The brand operates in the very high-end segment, often supplying motorsport teams.

For F1, I took the bundle with GSI steering wheel and Simucube 2 Sport or 2 Pro base, with a ClubSport V3 crankset. The bases deliver 17 and 25 nm of torque respectively, which is a lot for sim-racing. The Formula-style steering wheel with its large screen is very ergonomic, as well as being immersive.

However, this comes at a cost. Depending on the base, you’ll pay between €3,100 and €3,300, with discounts from Simucube. For the chassis, you can stick with the previous models, or upgrade to the Playseat Formula Intelligence, which costs €2,500 on its own, and have a setup costing around €6,000.