For true racing simulation game enthusiasts, it is impossible to compare a controller to a steering wheel. For a good immersion in the race, it is essential to be well equipped and to choose the right products. But this is not always an easy task to accomplish.

The French brand Thrustmaster The French brand Thrustmaster, which is known for designing an impressive range of quality steering wheels on various platforms, has also developed over the years models in partnership with major car manufacturers.

That’s why we decided today to test for you one of the steering wheels that was born from a collaboration between Thrustmaster and the great Ferrari brand: the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On.

In this article, we will tell you everything there is to know about this model as we will talk about its characteristics, we will tell you to What type of player it is, what are its advantages and disadvantages as well as its price and where to get it.

The characteristics of the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1

The Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On, more commonly known as Ferrari F1, is one of the brand’s “Add-on” models to be fixed on a base, which was born from the collaboration between Thrustmaster and Ferrari.

We have listed the main features of this model:

• The Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 steering wheel is a full-size replica of the 2011 Ferrari Formula 1 and is officially licensed by Ferrari.
• This model is to be installed on a Thrustmaster T-series base, for example one of the following bases: TS-PC Racer, T-GT 2, TS-XW Racer, T500 RS, T300 RS, TX.
• The steering wheel faceplate is made of reinforced brushed metal, which offers optimized strength and inertia.
• This model has two authentic paddles, also in brushed metal, and features a F1 “Push & Pull” gear shift.
• The grip is made of rubber texture which offers a realistic and comfortable grip during the game.
• The steering wheel has 2 rotary knobs to set up your car directly in race, 3 metal switches and professional quality action buttons. In total, this Thrustmaster model is composed of 25 buttons.
• The Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On is compatible with PC, PlayStation 3, 4 and 5 as well as Xbox One. It offers 2 possible game modes: the “Normal” mode compatible with PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One (with a total of 13 action buttons + 2 D-pads); and the “Advanced” mode compatible with PC only (with a total of 25 action buttons + 1 D-pad)
• Dimensions (L x W x H) : 31.75 x 22.61 x 13.72 cm
• Weight: 1295 g

For what type of person?

The Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 steering wheel, as its name suggests, has been designed and designed specifically for F1 fans. And it must be recognized that this model should really seduce them.

It is especially suitable for gamers who plan to spend time on games such as rFactor, iRacing or any other game in which they want to drive a F1, sport proto or single-seater.

The Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 is a steering wheel model that is suitable for adults (men or women), but can also appeal to and be suitable for children.

Its advantages

So we tested the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On and found out what the advantages of this model were.

First of all, we were particularly seduced by the incredible grip of this wheel. The Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 truly gives us the sensation of holding a professional F1 steering wheel in our hands. This model allows us to feel perfectly the roughness of the road and the rubber texture used for the handles offers us a support of the hands that avoids us unpleasant slips during the race.

Secondly, we liked the solid construction of this Thrustmaster wheel. Indeed, for a model that currently costs less than 200 € on the market, the Ferrari F1 is very solid and has been designed from resistant and quality materials that should guarantee the wheel a certain longevity. In our opinion, this model offers a very good quality-price ratio.

The Ferrari F1 model from Thrustmaster also has the advantage of having many usable buttons, the total coming to 25. Even the three small silver switches on the wheel are usable, which we found really appreciable and quite original. Because we have to admit that few Sim-racing wheels currently offer this kind of functionality.

Another positive point about the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 steering wheel is its compatibility with Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S (except Xbox 360), PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 consoles and also with the PC. This gives us a wide choice in terms of platform, but also of games. In addition, its fixing and installation, as well as its adjustments, are very simple and fast.

Its disadvantages

Testing the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On allowed us to discover the positive points of this model, but we also discovered that it obviously has a number of disadvantages.

We were first a bit disappointed by the lack of markings on the buttons. For those who switch from a traditional controller to this type of wheel, it may be complicated and they will tend to get lost. If the quantity of buttons can be an advantage, because it increases the number of features, it is also a disadvantage because it tends to duplicate some of them. It is therefore not always easy to find your way around and it may take some time to get used to it.

Despite all its buttons, the F1 wheels in the center of the steering wheel are unusable, which we found quite a shame. It would have been really nice if it wasn’t just put there as a decoration and if Thrustmaster had allowed its players to use it during the race. We would have also appreciated if this model was equipped with an LCD screen like on the real F1 Ferrari wheel, but at this price, we understand that we can’t have everything either!

Another of the disadvantages of the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 steering wheel is that it is not compatible with the Xbox 360, as we said before. This incompatibility is not clearly announced on the product sheet of the steering wheel on the official website of the brand, so it may surprise more than one potential buyer. A point that is certainly not the most essential, but which disappointed us somewhat.

Finally, we found that the rubber texture used for the handle coating tended to irritate the skin after a more or less long play time. We therefore recommend wearing gloves to those who, like us, would find themselves handicapped during the race.

Where to get it and for how much?

The Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On is sold new at an average price ranging from €160 to €190.
It is normally sold at 189.99 € on the official website of the brand Thrustmaster, but it is currently out of stock.

You can however find it onAmazon.fr and even save some money since it is currently sold in promotion.

It is also possible to find Thrustmaster steering wheel models on second-hand product buying and selling sites such as Le Bon Coin at very interesting prices. We still recommend that you pay close attention to the conditions of the product to avoid scams.

Conclusion

Even if it is clear to us that the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 steering wheel is not the best model that the French brand has designed, we were nevertheless able to appreciate it and we were seduced by the many advantages that this steering wheel offers.

For a wheel that costs less than 200 €, thehe Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 Wheel Add-On offers great driving sensationsIt’s an amazing design, with a good grip and multiple buttons that may not be easy to find, but still offer an impressive amount of functionality.

If you are a fan of F1 or single-seaters, you may adopt it in a few seconds and never leave it! So if this is your case, don’t hesitate any longer and buy this magnificent replica of the 2011 Ferrari race car wheel, you won’t regret it!