Thrustmaster Ferrari F1
Advantages & Disadvantages
✅ Official Ferrari F1 licensed steering wheel
✅ Push – Pull paddles
✅ Excellent grip
✅ Good value for money
❌ Dummy switches in the center
❌ A not-so-premium finish
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The world of sim-racing isn’t just about having a setup like every racer, with identical bases, steering wheels, pedals, and cockpits. The very essence of this discipline is the customization of its design and the fact of having configs for each motorsport.
Many people are uncomfortable behind a “standard” steering wheel during racing sessions. F1 22 or to make big jumps on Dirt. Every motor sport has its characteristics, including the size and shape of the steering wheel.
Over the years, engineers have changed the shape of racing car steering wheels to make them more ergonomic for drivers, and manufacturers of sim-racing peripherals have done the same. Fans of this beautiful discipline are familiar with brands like Thrustmaster, which offer a vast catalog of products specially developed for sim-racing, and today, we’re going to look at one of its steering wheels, the Ferrari F1. This steering wheel is, in fact, a single wheel with an official Ferrari license. I will introduce it and tell you its strengths and weaknesses.
Main and technical characteristics of the wheel
- Steering wheel compatible with PC, Xbox, and PlayStation
- Push-pull paddle shifters for single-paddle gear shifting
- Compatible with Thrustmaster T-Series bases
- Metal and plastic steering wheel
- Eight knobs and buttons all over the wheel
Design
We’ve become accustomed to beautiful products from Thrustmaster, and the Ferrari F1 is one of them. Logical, you might say, given that it’s an officially licensed Ferrari steering wheel from the 2011 Formula 1 season. Well, it’s a bit old, but the overall design hasn’t changed too much since then, except for adding features like a screen.
The Ferrari F1 features a familiar F1 design, with a rectangular shape and an assortment of knobs and buttons spread across the wheel. The structure is metal, with plastic for some parts and rubber for the handles.
Overall, it’s sober, with a few colored buttons and black dominating everything else. The Ferrari F1 remains an all-purpose steering wheel, which will go wonderfully well with all sim-racing setups, especially F1 ones.
Custom mounting
Since the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 is a single wheel, this implies a fastening system, like Quick Release from Fanatec, which is not user-friendly. To swap the wheel, you have to unscrew the fastening mechanism and then rotate the wheel to remove it… And if you have another revolution and want to use the Ferrari F1, you’ll have to do this twice!
Aside from the multiple manipulations to change wheels, which I find useless and a waste of time, the Ferrari F1 is compatible with T-Series bases, giving you a wide range of performance and force feedback. That’s a good thing, and it opens up many new horizons regarding driving style and feel.
As far as cockpits are concerned, this is more a question of choosing the base which will be attached to it. However, almost all chassis on the market are compatible with Thrustmasters, so no worries. If you’re interested, I invite you to discover some of our reviews of different cockpits by clicking here.
Manufacturing and finishing
The Ferrari F1 uses metal, plastic, and rubber as construction materials. These are noble materials that other brands use in their products, but the implementation and manufacturing quality are not up to the standards of premium brands like Fanatec. And why is that? The steering wheel of the Ferrari F1 is an entry-level wheel, that’s why.
The finish is a bit hit-and-miss and looks like cheap plastic supermarket steering wheels. And this feeling is accentuated by the dummy switches in the center of the wheel. I don’t know why Thrustmaster did this, but it’s cheap on their part.
Apart from this faux pas, the rest of the wheel is more or less well-finished, even if the feel isn’t the best. What is nice, however, are the rear paddles. They’re metal and in a Push-Pull configuration. Also, the steering wheel is pretty solid when used for sim-racing. However, I’d advise you to attach it to a base and leave it in place, as the ‘Quick Release’ system is plastic and uses a screw to secure the whole thing, and it’s likely to crack after a while.
Handling the steering wheel
Where the Ferrari F1 is its handling. As a 1:1 scale replica of a Ferrari steering wheel, this peripheral handles superbly well, with excellent ergonomics. Immersion is the order of the day, and you’ll immediately be teleported into the cockpit of an F1 car.
All the buttons that work are easy to reach without taking your hands off the wheel so that you can concentrate more fully during a race. Another positive aspect of the Ferrari F1 is having the paddles close to the wheel and in Push-Pull mode. You can change gears (+ and -) with just one hand.
The grips are covered in rubber, which considerably improves the steering wheel’s grip. Even if the Ferrari F1 is an entry-level product, this material feels better than the one on the Ferrari SF1000 ( which you can do by clicking here), for example, where you need gloves to drive for a certain period.
Sensations during play
The great thing about Thrustmaster steering wheels is that they provide excellent in-game sensations, and that’s precisely the case with the Ferrari, even if, in real life, the feelings come mainly from the base.
As an officially licensed Formula 1 steering wheel, this peripheral brings a big plus over the competition, and that’s immersion. As soon as you grip it, you immediately feel like you’re in the cockpit of an F1 car, and this sensation is accentuated by the various switches and buttons all over the wheel.
All controls are within easy reach, highlighting the excellent ergonomics of the Ferrari F1. It has to be said that Thrustmaster engineers have worked very hard on this quality peripheral. Moreover, the steering wheel is the perfect size, given that it’s a scale replica of an F1 wheel, so it helps with ergonomics and feel.
Another positive point regarding feel is the paddles in the Push-Pull configuration. Using such paddles to shift gears is an absolute pleasure, especially with just one hand. With a good Thrustmaster base, you’ll push realism to the limit, blurring the boundary between reality and video games.
Compatibility
The Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 is a steering wheel that works perfectly with all the platforms available on the market: Playstation, Xbox, and PC. The only limiting factor is the choice of bases with which it is compatible.
Thrustmaster has announced full compatibility with T-Series bases, which is not bad. This range is pretty broad, covering entry-level and mid-range, with decisive force feedback. And if you want some basic recommendations, this is the place to go.
Value for money
At €189.99 on the official website ( and at 149€ on Amazon), the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 is an entry-level Formula 1-style wheel for those looking to indulge without breaking the budget. Its value for money is pretty good because you don’t have any other alternatives in this price range from Thrustmaster.
Moreover, if you’re an F1 fan, this steering wheel is a must-have peripheral in your sim-racing arsenal. At least, that’s what I think.
My verdict
Although the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 has little faults, such as the dummy switches in the center, it’s still a good F1 steering wheel for the money, especially for fans of the sport. Its ergonomics are excellent, and I enjoyed my time on it.
Well, its mounting system isn’t the easiest to use, but that doesn’t detract from a picture that’s pretty good-looking for the price, especially since the Thrustmaster Ferrari F1 is often on sale for less than €150. In any case, I validate this steering wheel. But if you’re unconvinced, you can look at the 6 Best Steering Wheels for Sim Racing in 2023.
