Your at-home sim racing rig might be nice, but it’s nowhere close to Ferrari’s official Formula 1 simulator in Maranello. It’s an exclusive, completely immersive contraption used to recreate the conditions felt behind the wheel of real F1 cars at tracks across the globe. Normally it’s reserved for the likes of Charles LeClerc and Sebastian Vettel—at least for the time being—but someone from the general public will soon have a go in it…for a price.
RM Sotheby’s is auctioning off an opportunity to drive the Ferrari F1 sim in the name of charity. It’s a no-reserve lot that’ll gather all proceeds for #RaceAgainstCovid, and bidding ends on June 22.
Ferrari, much like every other F1 team, typically keeps its official sim under wraps to hide any developments made to its racing car. As such, whoever wins the auction will surely be required not to tell anybody else exactly how cool it is. I can only imagine…
Whereas there are plenty of force-feedback rigs on the market, Ferrari’s is bespoke and all-encompassing. Thanks to hydraulic arms that hoist it up like a spider, it can translate every bump in the racing surface to the driver. This enables them to fine-tune the car’s setup to react accordingly with each circuit—a must when you’re competing against the sport’s elite.