Sebastian Vettel’s New Home Racing Sim Rig Is Made From An Actual F1 Car

When it comes to sim racing, realism is key. And while we’ve seen some pretty incredible setups before, few are as impressive as F1 driver Sebastian Vettel’s newest one, which is made from an actual Aston Martin F1 car.

To be more specific, the cockpit comes from one of the development cars for last year’s AMR21. Naturally, being a driver for Aston Martin, Vettel would have the privilege of receiving something like this. But despite this being a simulator for his home, it isn’t just for fun. This rig will actually be used for Vettel to train on when he can’t be the car, and as such, Aston has tried their best to nail the realism factor.

This all started at last year’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, which was at an all-new track, so getting familiar with it ahead of time would be paramount for a competitive race. Unfortunately, Vettel was unable to get enough time in the team’s simulator, which is what led them to this idea. They figured that if he couldn’t get time for the team’s simulator, a home unit with a similar level of realism would be extremely helpful.

The simulator is fitted with Vettel’s custom-fitted race seat, headrest, and seatbelts from 2021, and features the wing mirrors and halo from the AMR21 to provide a realistic view while driving. A personalized touch comes in the form of a “Honey Ryder” decal behind the steering wheel. For those not familiar, Vettel has a tradition of naming his F1 cars, and seeing as Aston Martin has such a strong tie with James Bond, he decided to name his first Aston Martin F1 car Honey Ryder after the Bond girl with the same name from the original James Bond film Dr. No.

Beyond the parts that come from an actual F1 car, the team also employed their skills in creating the metal frame of the simulator as well as the three-screen setup. Ans while the visuals are certainly important, the physical feelings are even more so.

That’s why Aston Martin enlisted the help of Pro Sim to provide the steering wheel feedback system and calibrate the pedals to best mimic those of an F1 car. The whole process took months to complete, as aside from the actual construction, there was also plenty of designing, testing, and troubleshooting that all needed to be done to bring this custom rig to life.

The end result is the most unique one on the grid, as while many F1 drivers have their own simulators at home, none have one made from parts of an F1 car that replicate the visual aspect of the driving experience so well. With any luck this will come to Vettel’s aid, as the 2022 season is fast approaching and both him and the team hope to improve upon their performance from last year.

H/T to The Drive