Sim-Lab
From the GT1 EVO to motion-ready P1-X frames, Sim-Lab kit handles whatever a direct-drive base throws at it.
Sim-Lab discount codeThe Sim-Lab rig I race onA closer look
The Mercedes F1 wheel,
recreated to the millimetre.
Sim-Lab built this one hand in hand with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team, working from the real car's CAD files. These are the things that stuck with me after spending proper time with it. It costs a small fortune, so it isn't for everyone. If it's not for you, let's enjoy it together anyway.
5 min readFindings€2,699
Watch the walkaround
The whole thing, box to first laps.
The notes below are the shortlist. The video is the full unboxing and the first stint in the Mercedes around Monza, where most of this actually clicked for me.
What stood out
Five things I keep coming back to.
- 01
It's a true 1:1 replica, not a tribute
The engineers worked from the real team's CAD data, so this is dimensionally identical to the wheel Hamilton and Russell drove in the W15. Not “inspired by”. The same shape, the same layout, the same magic buttons and rotaries in the same places.
Richard at Sim-Lab told me they brought this and the genuine article into the Mercedes factory and had people pick the real one from the sim one side by side. Some of them genuinely struggled. That's the level we're at.
- 02
It's light, and that turns out to be the point
The shell is handcrafted carbon fibre and the whole wheel comes in at just over a kilo. My first thought was that light meant less premium. It's the opposite.
On a strong base, in my case the SIMAGIC Alpha EVO Pro, a light and rigid wheel gives the motor less mass to fight. The base can move quicker and the fine detail arrives at your hands cleaner. I'm no engineer, but every loaded corner felt more talkative than I expected. The lightness is a feature, not a corner cut.
- 03
The shifters feel like a trigger
The rocker shifters and the clutch take a very precise amount of pressure, the way a trigger does. There's a clear point where they engage and nothing mushy before it.
What surprised me most was letting go of the clutch in anger. You brace for a harsh metal clack and it just isn't there. Soft stop, no metal on metal, all the way around. The encoders are stiff in the best sense too, so you never dial in three clicks when you meant two.
- 04
The grips mould to your hands
The grips are a soft anti-static silicone, and lower down they go softer still. Your hand sinks in and moulds to them without ever losing grip. After a long stint I noticed I was holding the wheel far lighter than I normally would, which is usually the sign of a good thing.
It was designed for an actual F1 cockpit, so the ergonomics are sorted. Thumbs reach almost everything without your palms leaving the wheel.
- 05
The display lives inside the glass
The 4.3 inch display and the rev lights are built into the same pane of glass, so the face stays flush and sleek instead of looking bolted together. Change brake bias mid-lap and it pops up on screen exactly like the real car. Small thing, but it pulls you in.
Is it missing the funky switch and the little mouse nub you get on a dedicated sim wheel? Yes, on purpose, because the real F1 wheel doesn't have them. With 12 buttons and 9 rotaries you can build your own funky switch out of two encoders and a button and never miss them.
The numbers, quickly
- Weight
- 1129 g shell, 1240 g with hub
- Display
- 4.3 inch, 480 x 800
- Shell
- Full carbon fibre
- Diameter
- 280 mm
- Grips
- Anti-static silicone
- Inputs
- 12 buttons, 2 rear, 9 rotaries
The honest bit
I thought it was a mantelpiece.
I was wrong.
When this was announced I called it a lovely thing for a shelf. Something you keep in a glass box and take out once a year. A few stints in and that idea was gone. It wants to be used. It feels like it could take a serious pounding and not blink, and it just disappears into your hands the second you start driving.
The one real pitfall is the price. At €2,699 it is genuinely expensive, and the licensing and the hours that went into it are exactly why. It isn't for most people, me included on a normal day. But if that number doesn't leave a dent on you, or it's a gift for an F1-mad someone, you will not be disappointed by a single part of it.
A note on who it's for
If you race formula cars and have the budget, this is a brilliant wheel first and a showpiece second. If the price stings, the videos are free and the wheel looks just as good on camera. No shame in either.
Want a proper look
See it on Sim-Lab's site.
The full spec sheet, every photo and the buy page live on Sim-Lab. Code JACKZER takes 5% offat Sim-Lab's checkout. There's no markup, and clicking through sends a small commission back to the channel.
Purchasing items through the affiliate links here will provide commission to the channel at no extra cost to you, which keeps the videos coming to the community! Many thanks - Jack
Keep going
The rig I race on
Every Sim-Lab piece in my setup, the P1X Pro and the rest, with links.
ReadWhat's the right FFB for you?
The plain-English guide to dialling force feedback for your hands and your base.
ReadThe SIMAGIC base behind it
The Alpha EVO Pro that made this wheel feel so alive. Which SIMAGIC kit to buy.
Read
Gear that matters here
SIMAGIC
The SIMAGIC starter bundle deal. Direct-drive base, wheel and pedals, a permanent $599.
SIMAGIC discount codeThe SIMAGIC lineup, explained
Go Setups & Go Fast
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Go Setups & Go Fast discount codeGo Setups, my honest take
RaceLab
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RaceLab discount code
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Written by
Jack Wynne / JACKZER
Irish simracing content creator and SIMAGIC ambassador
I'm Jack. I race, I make videos about it, and I've spent years in the simracing community watching the hardware market grow up around it. Before any of this I was an electrician, so I've always been a tinkerer. I like taking a product apart in my head and asking how it could look better, work better, or just make more sense.
I also studied psychotherapy, which helps me understand what's going on in my own head when I drive, and sometimes helps me explain it in a way that's useful to you too.
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