Need gift ideas for the motorsport enthusiast in your life? Here are RaceFans’ top picks from the products we’ve reviewed and sampled.
Fanatec direct drive wheel and more simracing kit
Direct drive simracing wheels are finally falling to prices at which they become a realistic option for dedicated motorsport fans. Fanatec’s powerful yet compact and quiet CSL DD earned top marks from RaceFans when we put it to the test this year.
For those seeking a less expensive alternative, Thrustmaster’s T248 comes in at less than half the price. They describe this as a ‘hybrid drive’ wheel which uses a belt to amplify the steering feel. Moreover, it has a programmable LCD display that allows you to pick which information you want to include on your wheel. It scored four out of five in our review.
As sim racing kit become more every more authentic and the forces they generate get more powerful, it’s becoming increasingly important to have something sturdier than a desk to fit them to. The Next Level F-GT allows you clamp all your motorsport peripherals firmly in place and switch your seating position to suit either single-seaters or sports cars.
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Autocourse and more motorsport books
The motorsport annual of choice for decades, Autocourse is know first for its rigorous coverage of the grand prix season, but includes detailed summaries of all other major four-wheeled motorsport as well, making them indispensable reference works.
RaceFans Supporters can claim a special discount on the 2022 edition of Autocourse and its two-wheeled equivalent Motocourse – details coming soon.
It’s been a somewhat quiet year for new books but there is an obvious choice for fans of the new world champion, as his breakthrough success last year prompted the inevitable biography – “Max – the Dutch Master”.
For those seeking a more historical read, a new book by Ian Wagstaff digs into the background of the obscure but significant British Racing Partnership. Fans of helmet liveries still coming to terms with the departure of prolific lid-swapper Sebastian Vettel can console themselves with “Formula Helmet” – a colourful retrospective of three decades of designs.
Finally, if you don’t mind a more mentally demanding festive read, “The Science of the Racer’s Brain” unlocks the secrets of how drivers’ minds work.
- Buy Autocourse 2022
- Buy “Max – The Dutch Master”
- Buy “Formula Helmet: The Glorious Years of Formula 1 Helmets 1969-99”
- Buy “Formula 1’s Unsung Pioneers”
- Buy “The Science of the Racer’s Brain”
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The Legend of the Formula Ford Festival
We can’t pretend to be impartial about this one: The Legend of the Formula Ford Festival is a detailed study of the 50-year history of the Brands Hatch classic, written by our own Ben Evans, so of course we’re going to recommend it!
McLaren Lego
Formula 1 plus Lego makes for an irresistible combination, so we were delighted to see this model of a McLaren F1 car make an appearance. Styled on the current cars but featuring last year’s colour scheme, it measures 65cm end-to-end and includes a V6 engine with moving pistons, differential, steering and suspension.
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F1 Manager 2022, F1 22 and more motorsport games
Motorsport fans have been able to play at being Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso for years, and F1 22 brings all the updated teams and tracks to your living room as usual. But with the arrival of F1 Manager 2022 you can take on the role of Toto Wolff, Christian Horner and the rest of the team principals.
Fancy driving something outside of the F1 world? The seventh edition of the hugely popular Gran Turismo series landed this year with its vast selection of vehicles, while Grid Legends crams single-seaters, touring cars, GTs, trucks and electric racers in a game bound up in a Drive to Survive-style story mode with the drama cranked up to 11. Or careen around the desert in the new official Dakar rally game (review coming soon).
- Buy F1 22 for PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox Series Z and S or One, or PC
- Buy F1 Manager 22 for PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox Series Z and S or One, or PC
- Buy Moto GP 22 for PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox Series Z and S or One, or PC
- Buy Gran Turismo 7 for PlayStation 5
- Buy Dakar Desert Rally for PlayStation or Xbox
- Buy Grid Legends for PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox Series Z and S or One, or PC
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The Greatest Grand Prix Calendar
Count down the days to the start of the 2023 F1 season and beyond with this premium desk calendar featuring lush photography licensed from the Cahier Archive. For 2023 the BoxBoxBox team have chosen the theme ‘The Greatest Underdogs’ and the images chosen include the breakthrough wins of Sebastian Vettel, Jean Alesi, James Hunt and more.
Motorsport prints from Hidden Prints
Adorn your wall with art based on your favourite motorsport circuit or race – or even the whole championship calendar.
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Over to you
What gifts would you recommend for other motorsport fans? Have your say in the comments.
Reviews
- “Benetton: Rebels of Formula 1” book reviewed
- “EA WRC” – Codemasters’ first official World Rally Championship game reviewed
- ‘Charles Leclerc’ and ‘Lando Norris’ biographies reviewed
- “Tyrrell: The story of the Tyrrell Racing Organisation” reviewed
- “F1 Manager 23” reviewed – A successful upgrade package?
Kringle
25th November 2022, 18:32
Avoid F1 Manager 22 like the plague. It’s reputation is in tatters, after looking at the source code myself and seeing the hollow husk of a game within I cannot let some poor soul buy this for their loved one.
Rest of the recommendations, pretty good!
SpaFrancorchamps (@spafrancorchamps)
25th November 2022, 19:33
Any respectable site would not advise this one to their audience. It’s terrible indeed.
falken (@falken)
25th November 2022, 18:32
Never buy Lego full price. It’ll be at 20-30% off sooner or later on Amazon. Which if you want the Ferrari Daytona SP3 is a huge saving
BasCB (@bascb)
25th November 2022, 19:07
Right now they have a Black friday sale, I understand @falken!
Imre (@f1mre)
25th November 2022, 19:38
I’m bothered that it’s not based on an actual F1 car. It’s just a mix of a 2021 car and the 2022 concept car. What a shame.
Imre (@f1mre)
25th November 2022, 19:36
Trackscapes: https://www.trackscapes.com/
A great decoration and fits any room design. A piece of modern art for non racing fans and a nice decoration for racing fans.
F1 frog (@f1frog)
25th November 2022, 19:58
Fun fact: it is traditional for the world champion to write the foreword in the Autocourse annual. However, in 1991, I believe Ayrton Senna refused to write it as he was upset that Alain Prost had been ranked as the best driver of the 1990 season, rather than himself.
Diez Cilindros (@diezcilindros)
26th November 2022, 7:21
Well… is there any gift for the 3rd classified in 2022 RaceFans F1 Predictions Championship? =). Congrats to royalsub and poor Serr7, missing out by losing the tie-break.
The Motorsport prints look gorgeous.
Pedro (@)
26th November 2022, 13:57
The greatest Gran Prix Calendar and the Motorsport prints