We purchased the Fanatec Podium Racing Wheel F1 more than a year ago and paired it with a set of Fanatec Clubsport V3 pedals. Since then, we've done thousands of laps across multiple racing sims like iRacing and Assetto Corsa Competizione as well as games like F1 2021 and F1 2022. Our experience with the wheel revealed both good and bad points.
The Fanatec Podium Racing Wheel F1 System
The system consists of a Formula 2.5 wheel that uses the Fanatec quick release adaptor to fasten to a DD1 direct drive wheelbase. The Formula wheel includes the advanced paddle module that gives you two sets of magnetic shifters and a dual-clutch system.
The DD1 base has a peak torque output of 20Nm which should be sufficient for just about any driver. The system sells for €1,799.95 (±R31000).
The Bad
- We hated the styling of the F1 wheel. The colours are way too bright for us and it looks like the result of a transformer having relations with a smurf. We prefer the more subdued black and red version.
- The two thumb-controlled rotary encoders are too soft and get bumped quite easily.
- The blue Alcantara-covered grips get dirty extremely quickly and wearing gloves is a pain since you struggle to feel the super soft rotary encoders.
- We experienced random disconnects while driving. We'd be well into a race and the wheel would suddenly disconnect for a second or two. We tried updating drivers and removing/refastening the wheel but the problem was always popping up when least expected.
- The display is way too small. We think that Fanatec should have a much larger display in the next version of this wheel.
The Good
- The feedback from the DD1 wheelbase is amazing. You can feel every detail and it feels like there's no delay whatsoever.
- The magnetic shifters have a strong, positive feeling that gives you the confidence that you've definitely selected a gear. No skipped gearshifts here.
- We enjoyed having PS5 compatibility that worked great in Gran Turismo 7 and F1 2021. Game menus can be controlled directly from the wheel.
- The raised edges around the buttons and the feel of the buttons themselves made it very easy to drive in VR.
Fanatec Button Caps and sticker Set
Fanatec sells a set of button caps and stickers for €29.95 that we bought and installed on the Podium F1 wheel. It consists of a range of stickers and different coloured button caps that you can use to customise the wheel. The above photo shows the wheel with caps on and off. The caps have slightly raised edges that make them easy to find in both VR mode and non-VR mode.
Summary
The Fanatec Podium Racing Wheel F1 isn't cheap at €1,799.95 (±R31000). However, when compared to wheels and wheelbases of similar specifications and quality from competitors like Moza Racing and Simucube, then the price is more or less justified.
The only serious issue we had with the wheel was random disconnects that we think may have been resolved after the last Fanatec driver update and firmware update for the motherboard in our sim rig PC. We'll update this article after a lot more testing.
Overall, we really enjoyed this wheel and wheelbase and highly recommend it to anyone that wants a high-quality direct drive wheelbase and a formula-style steering wheel that works on both PlayStation and PC. It may have the looks of a cheap toy but we think that it's perfect for the serious sim racer.
