With new wheels being constantly released by Fanatec, we answer the question. Which is the best Fanatec Formula wheel for 2025?
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Racing formula style cars is one of the most exhilarating forms of sim racing. Travelling at speeds of around 200MPH in an open wheel race car can’t be matched, especially in VR! However, racing in these types of race cars with a controller or a sim racing wheel which isn’t designed to replicate a formula wheel rim can sometimes break the overall immersion.
Other than racing with a VR system, the best upgrade you can make to your sim racing rig is buying a formula style wheel rim. In this article, we have rounded up all of the formula wheel rims that Fanatec has made, and show you our recommended buy for 2025.
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
Below is a full comparison table comparing the main features of the Formula V2.5X, Formula Carbon and McLaren GT3 V2 wheel rims.
If you are looking to upgrade your Fanatec wheel setup to include this style of wheel rim you have three fantastic options.
| Formula V2.5X | Formula Carbon | McLaren GT3 V2 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compatibility | PC, PS5, Xbox | PC, PS5 | PC, PS5, Xbox |
| Display | 1″ 128×64 OLED | 3 digits LED | 1”, 128×64 OLED |
| Detachable button caps | ✔ | ✖ | ✔ |
| Quick release | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rev Lights | ✔ | ✔ | ✖ |
| Buttons | 11 | 11 | 9 |
| Rocker Switches | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Thumb Encoders | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Material | ABS, Carbon, Metal | ABS, Carbon, Metal | ABS |
| Grip material | Leather | Alcantara | Overmolded rubber |
| Weight | 1245g | 1200g | 1090g |
| Diameter | 270mm | 270mm | 270mm |
| Price | €349.95 | €269.95 | €199.95 |
Read our detailed comparison of the Formula V2 vs McLaren GT3 V2 wheel.
The new and improved McLaren GT3 V2 wheel is a fantastic option in 2025. It is a revised variant of the old McLaren GT3 wheel, with vastly improved elements. There are new shifters, a new quick release and more, making this a fantastic formula style wheel.
The Fanatec Formula Carbon was the first formula style wheel rim that Fanatec made. We haven’t included the old McLaren GT3 wheel rim in our comparison as it is no longer available to purchase. The Carbon originally came in two formats, the Formula Carbon and the Formula Black.
The only real difference, as you can probably tell from the name, was the material finish of the wheel. The Black variant featured a metal construction while the Carbon featured a carbon fibre body. Since then, the black variant has been discontinued by Fanatec and is no longer available to purchase. The Carbon version is still widely available to buy.
The Fanatec Formula V2 is the second version of Fanatec’s formula style wheel rim. It is an upgrade over the Formula Carbon in almost every way.
It features a similar button layout to its predecessor, but now features extra rocker switches and additional thumb encoders. These additions allow for much quicker car setup changes on the fly. There is also the addition of a more detailed OLED screen allowing for live telemetry data to be shown whilst driving.
Choosing the best Fanatec formula wheel for sale isn’t an overly tricky job. The Fanatec Formula V2.5X is without a doubt the best formula style rim you can purchase. Some would even argue it one of the best rims Fanatec produce from its entire product range. It is an improvement over Fanatec’s previous formula wheel, and introduces a few crucial upgrades.
The rocker switches on the front allow you to make quick adjustments between engine modes and ERS deployment modes. This is much more accessible when compared to opening up the MFD within an F1 game and manually scrolling through deployment modes. It is also much more immersive, making you feel like you are actually making physical adjustments to your car.
If you would rather have these deployment modes even more accessible, you can use the two new thumb encoders. These thumb encoders are easily accessible while driving, and you don’t even need to release your grip on the wheel to make adjustments.
In total there are 67 adjustable functions that you can make on the steering wheel. That is an incredible amount of customisation for any wheel rim.
The best Fanatec formula rim
The main downside of the Formula V2.5X is the price. It is much pricier than both the original formula rim, and the McLaren rim. As it stands, the Formula V2 is over £100 more expensive than the McLaren GT3 V2 wheel rim. This isn’t an amount to be sniffed at.
If you wanted a similar feeling wheel rim, without shelling out too much money, you won’t be disappointed with the McLaren GT3 V2 rim.
This wheel was originally designed in partnership with McLaren, and is a replica of the real steering wheel used in GT3 cars. Since the original version, Fanatec has taken on board customers’ feedback, and they have improved the wheel in multiple areas.
The main area of improvement is the dual clutch shifter system. There is a new push/pull shifter mechanism which feels incredibly positive when using. It takes a little time initially to get used to having the option to shift one-handed. But over time allowed us to grab a much needed drink mid endurance race!
So with this in mind, why have we chosen the McLaren GT3 V2 as our favourite budget sim racing wheel rim? It’s purely down to the amount of bang for you buck you get with this wheel. It’s an officially licensed product, which looks the part, feels the part, and doesn’t break the bank.
If you are not looking to break the bank, then the McLaren GT3 V2 wheel rim is a genuinely great choice of wheel rim!
The Fanatec Podium Racing Wheel F1® is a variant on the Formula V2.5 that we reviewed above. This wheel rim follows the exact same form factor, but is designed specially to work with the first ever direct drive wheel for PS4 and PS5. This wheel rim has been officially licensed by both PS4, PS5 and F1 and therefor holds official F1® branding.
In essence however, it is the same wheel rim as the Formula V2.5, so for this comparison, we haven’t included it. This variant of wheel rim isn’t compatible with any other wheel base other than the direct drive dd1 and dd2.
For a full review of the Fanatec Podium Racing Wheel F1® click here.
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The Formula V2 wheel rim is absolutely stunning. It looks amazing and way exceeds all other formula wheel rims in terms of functionality and immersion.
The cheapest Fanatec formula wheel rim used to be the F1 Esports rim. However that wheel rim is no longer available for sale, meaning the cheapest wheel rim now is the McLaren GT3 V2, which remains a great choice of rim for any formula fans.
Yes, the Fanatec Formula Carbon is still available to buy in 2025. However the Formula Black wheel rim has been discontinued in 2021.
Rich is the founder, F1 car setup creator and content writer for SimRacingSetups. With over a decade of experience as a graphic designer, marketing director, competitive sim racer and avid motorsport fan, Rich founded SimRacingSetup.com to share his passion and knowledge of sim racing and Formula 1 with other sim racers. Regularly writes for sim racing website SimRaceReviews.com
View all articles written by Rich
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