Kimi Antonelli – Sim Racing Setup

For Kimi Antonelli, the transition from junior categories to Formula 1 has been rapid, but his approach to staying sharp between race weekends has remained consistent — a serious commitment to sim racing as a core training tool. The young Italian driver has already proven he can adapt to F1 at the highest level, and behind the scenes, a lot of that preparation happens on a simulator that replicates his Mercedes F1 car with remarkable accuracy.

The 10th F1 Driver in the Cool Performance Family

Kimi Antonelli is the 10th Formula 1 driver to own a Cool Performance simulator, joining an exclusive group that includes Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, Alex Albon, Mick Schumacher, Logan Sargeant, and others. His rig is built on the Formula Pro, Cool Performance’s flagship home F1 cockpit, which has been trusted by hundreds of professional drivers worldwide. The simulator was installed at Kimi’s home in the week before his first Canadian Grand Prix win, built over three months of collaboration and more than 150 hours of coachbuilding alongside Quaife Engineering.

“The Formula Pro lets me set everything up exactly how I need to which is essential when I’m using the simulator for training between races.” — Kimi Antonelli

The Formula Pro was specifically chosen to meet three requirements: ultra-realistic training for competitive preparation, a compact design that fits in a home environment, and a visually striking build that doubles as a statement piece. Every Cool Performance simulator is designed, engineered, and assembled entirely in-house at their UK workshop to ISO 9001 standards, using components built to motorsport tolerance levels rather than adapted from consumer hardware.

Kimi’s build stands out with a full custom livery inspired by his F1 car, carbon fibre accents throughout, and the proprietary CP-S hardware the brand is known for. The cockpit features over 40 individually manufactured components, hand-built with a rigid zero-flex chassis engineered to withstand sustained professional use.

What Makes It Special

The steering system is the CP-S Leo Bodnar SimSteering2 Ultimate, delivering 26Nm of direct drive with exceptionally high detail and response — precisely calibrated to load the upper body the way Kimi’s F1 car does during turns at up to 260km/h at circuits like Suzuka. The wheel itself is the official Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Sim Racing Steering Wheel, officially licensed by the team and engineered to mirror the real car — including the distinctive mono clutch paddle and authentic F1 control layout.

The braking experience comes from Cool Performance’s custom hydraulic pedal set, using a professional-grade AP Racing master cylinder that delivers authentic hydraulic resistance and progressive brake modulation comparable to a real race car. Every element of the pedal box is fully adjustable via electronic linear bearing actuation.

The visual setup uses a triple wraparound curved display — three 27-inch UHD 240Hz Samsung Odyssey screens positioned for the correct driver eye line and optimal peripheral vision. The minimal bezel gaps between displays create a seamless immersive experience that mirrors the real F1 cockpit view.

For haptic feedback, Kimi uses the CP-S Haptic Vibration Feedback System, which delivers high-frequency vibration throughout the chassis and seating structure, reproducing gear shifts, kerb strikes, bottoming out, and surface changes with virtually zero latency. There is no motion platform: the design prioritises consistent, repeatable feedback through the wheel, pedals, and driving position over an actuated rig — a choice that reflects the preference of the majority of the 250+ professional drivers who use Cool Performance simulators.

The seat is a custom Formula fibre glass bucket with hand-stitched leather, Alcantara backing, Kimi’s signature, his race number, and Petronas turquoise contrast stitching — a direct mirror of his real race seat. The level of configuration provides muscle memory that translates directly to the car, from the comfort of Kimi’s home.

Very few pictures of his setup have been made public until now, but thanks to Cool Performance, we have the specs.

As you can see, we are guessing almost the top, as an F1 driver would.

Other F1 driver simulators:

• Lando Norris
• Charles Leclerc
• George Russell
• Carlos Sainz
• Checo Perez
• Fernando Alonso
• Antonio Giovinazzi
• Max Verstappen
• Oscar Piastri
• Gabriel Bortoleto

Happy Racing!