F1 Steering Wheel Cost (Why Is It So Expensive?!)

Drivers wanted to know about the cost of the F1 steering wheel. Steering wheels are effortless to operate, and you must have enough practice. And this is regardless of their detailed look. 

The price of an F1 steering wheel can range from an F1 steering wheel is shocking news to anyone. With this, many people wanted to know why F1 steering is expensive and if it is expensive. F1 steering wheels are expensive. 

This is because they are made for the optimal convenience of the driver during the most challenging of races or on race tracks. Everything is custom-made. This includes the driver’s hand grip measurements. 

And so, unlike everyday car types, they are designed for less demanding conditions and fewer personalization features. But now, we will focus on the F1 steering wheel cost. Let us start.

F1 Steering Wheel Cost

How Much Does An F1 Steering Wheel Cost?

This will depend on the design. The F1 vehicles are worth about ten million dollars ($10 million) to fifteen million dollars ($15 million). The parts are high-cost products. The powertrain, like the engine, driveline components, and transmission, can take most of the car’s overall cost, starting from five million dollars ($5 million) to ten million dollars ($10 million). 

The F1 steering wheel can cost about forty thousand dollars ($40,000) to one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000). But it can also be more than $100,000 million, depending on the level of sophistication. 

What Is The Cheapest F1 Steering Wheel?

There are cheap F1 steering wheels, and they are Logitech G29/G920 Driving Force, Thrustmaster T150/TMX Force Feedback, Hori Apex/Overdrive, Thrustmaster T300/TX, Thrustmaster Ferrari 458 Spider, Speedlink Drift O.Z, and Logitech MOMO.

Why Are F1 Steering Wheels So Expensive?

These three reasons explain why F1 racing wheels are so expensive. 

1. Technological Advancement and Changing Individual Racing Team Requirements

Steering wheel replacements are produced due to new tech, accidents, expert recommendations, etc. The steering wheel must also be replaced if the in-car system is modified to accommodate the new tech, make the vehicle faster, or ensure safety. 

2. Sophisticated Computer Functionalities

There are plenty of buttons on the steering wheel which perform a lot of digital functions. These roles are made possible with electronic engineering like the buttons, wiring, firmware, software, and server-side code. 

3. Designed for Ease of Vehicle Operation when Driving

Materials that are used in making the wheels are of high quality. They range from the lightest to the strongest of materials. Typically, race cars are designed to suit race tracks. 

So it’s only fitting that the steering wheels get an ergonomic design based on the driver’s preferences, from button layouts to grip material. Aside from that, drivers must keep their hands on the steering wheel during the race. 

Are F1 Steering Wheels Special?

Yes. The F1 steering wheel can be unique. Several materials are used in a steering wheel, but the primary materials are carbon fiber, fiberglass, silicon, titanium, and copper. These five (5) components are the main ingredients of the several hundred individual parts that form the more significant components inside an F1 steering wheel. 

Most of those components – the circuitry, circuit boards, carbon enclosure, quick release, electrical connectors, and steering – are built in-house in our factory in Brackley. There are only two (2) components, and this is the central display and the underlying circuit board. And they are not built in Brackley as they are standard parts shared by all teams. 

They are pretty heavily involved in the design process because the wheels are custom-built to their individual needs. For example, the wheel’s ergonomics, the shape’s physical layout, and the grips are fitted to their hands and how they like to interact with the steering wheel. 

Summary

In summary, this will depend on the design. The F1 vehicles are worth about ten million dollars ($10 million) to fifteen million dollars ($15 million). 

The parts are high-cost products. The powertrain, like the engine, driveline components, and transmission, can take most of the car’s overall cost, starting from five million dollars ($5 million) to ten million dollars ($10 million).

Do you want to know the price of other parts of F1?

Resources

Image credits – Canva

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My name is Hank, and I've been in the automotive industry for 27 years. I've been working in my own auto repair shop for the last 13 years, and now I want to help you here, on my blog. Let me know if you have any questions. Read more