© Getty ImagesWelcome To My Rig: Marcel KieferThe Red Bull Racing Esports Driver talks about his setup and how it takes his performance to the next level.
Adriver’ssimracingsetupisverypersonalanditvariesfromdrivertodriver.AndwhenweaskedMarcelKiefertotalkusthroughhisrig,hewasmorethanhappytoshowusaround.So,takealookatwhatourGermandriverusedtowinthe2020TeamChampionshipintheF1EsportsProSeries.
There are three main bits of equipment needed to compete in sim racing. A set of pedals, a steering wheel and the wheelbase. All three pieces are supplied by our partner Fanatec and are at the top end of hardware for racing.
FanatecCSLEliteWheelBasePlus
To the untrained eye the wheel base is just a black box that sits under the monitors and the steering wheel plugs into it, but it’s much more than that. It’s the heart of the system. “The Fanatec CSL Elite Wheel Base is super powerful,” explained Marcel. The wheel base consists of a single belt drive unit with ultra-low lag and cogging, and big ball bearings which ensures lowest friction.
“The wheel base can also produce up to six newton meters of torque on the steering axis, which gives you a lot of detail, I’m really happy with it.”
There is also an integrated rev light bar built into the wheel base, which helps the driver to gear shift at the appropriate time to perfect performance.
The Fanatec Setup In The Esports Erena© Getty Images
FanatecCSLEliteF1EsportsSteeringWheel
This is the steering wheel all drivers are using when racing in the F1 Esports Pro Series. There is a lot to this wheel, but Marcel is happy to break it down for us. “There are two shifters at the back and a total of 11 buttons,” he said. “There are also two thumb sticks, one moves like a D-pad, but the other is more restrictive. It’s a funky stick that can be twisted right and left, I would usually us it for my brake bias.”
There is also a button to open up the tuning manual. “When you open this, you have five settings, which you can change, you can customise them and have five different setups that you can automatically switch in any situation on the track to what you prefer.”
Marcel Kiefer In The New Team Kit© Patrick Scheiber
On the wheel there is also an LED display which shows telemetry data like speed or gear, determined by the driver, along with a revolution LED bar to show motor RPM and optimal shifting points.
To top off the wheel there are grips made of genuine Italian Alcantara ®, which provides sensational grip when racing.
To top off the setup, Marcel uses the Fanatec CSL Elite pedals with a CSL Elite Throttle and CSL loadcell brake. “The throttle gives a little bit of resistance and the perfect feel to accelerate out of corners, whilst the loadcell brake will give you a very precise and consistent feeling under braking, The brake produces up to 90kg of pressure, depending on the load you are running.” Said Marcel.
To tailor the experience when racing, the driver can adjust the brake force sensitivity of compatible loadcell peals. The brake pedal contains a metal spring an PU foam damper for pressure braking simulation and to provide more realism for the driver.
Ready For Racing© Getty Images
With a full Fanatec setup and Team world championship under his belt, it’s safe to say Marcel likes using the Fanatec hardware for racing. “Without Fanatec, we wouldn’t be able to race, perform and win, so we have to thank them.”
If you want to find out more about Esports racing set ups, check out our Bulls’ Guide To: Racing Rig Setup below.
