Alex Albon’s easy smile hides a ruthless preparation routine. His training hinges on two simulators: a home-built Formula-style rig that mirrors his FW47 ergonomics and the multimillion-pound driver-in-the-loop lab buried inside the Williams HQ in Grove. Together they handle everything from raw muscle memory to pre-weekend setup choices.
Hub: Browse every F1 driver rig we cover: Complete F1 Driver Sim Racing Setups (2025).
Why he runs two very different rigs
The home rig lets Albon pound laps alone, experiment with brake traces and rehearse new venues at will. The factory simulator is a live engineering tool that compresses weeks of car development into a data-heavy day. Switching between them keeps his reflexes sharp while feeding the Williams race team actionable telemetry.
Home rig: Pro-Sim Evolution chassis + Cool Performance tuning
Albon’s lockdown project was building a Pro-Sim Evolution F1 cockpit that weighs ~120 kg and locks him into the same low-slung posture as his real car. Cool Performance set it up with a copy of his pedal spacing and steering reach, so sliding into the rig feels like strapping into the FW47.
Quick spec sheet
| Component | What Albon uses | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Cockpit | Pro-Sim Evolution F1 | Extremely stiff, fully adjustable Formula seating |
| Wheelbase | Leo Bodnar SimSteering2 Pro | Industrial servo, zero cogging, brutal torque |
| Steering wheel | Cube Controls F-PRO Color Edition | Dual clutches, carbon body, plenty of rotaries |
| Pedals | Pro-Sim hydraulic system | 200 kg brake pressure, hydraulic master cylinder |
| Displays | Triple BenQ 4K Ultra HD Gaming Monitor 27” 144 Hz | Clean FOV without distortion |
| PC | Custom water-cooled tower | Silent airflow for long sessions |
Pedal feel that mirrors an F1 car
The hydraulic brake needs up to 200 kg of force, so he brakes on pressure - not travel. Combined with gas-spring throttle resistance, it lets him practice trail-braking and energy deployment exactly like he does on race weekends. Your quads burn after a stint, which is the entire point.
Force feedback with zero filter
The Leo Bodnar SimSteering2 Pro base was built for military simulators. Pair it with the Cube Controls F-PRO Color Edition rim and every curb strike or snap of oversteer hits your hands instantly. Albon uses that fidelity to rehearse brake bias changes, diff maps and clutch control for launches.
Triple-screen tunnel vision
Albon stayed away from VR to avoid motion sickness and to keep reference points stable. Triple 27-inch monitors wrap around his rig and give a predictable horizon, while a whisper-quiet water-cooled PC keeps focus on the telemetry rather than fan noise.
2025: Enter the custom MYSIM build
This year Albon teased a new rig coated in “Azzurro Thetys Metallic,” built by Canadian boutique brand MYSIM. Their systems usually add motion actuators, seatbelt tensioning and tactile modules so yaw, heave and traction changes physically tug at the driver. It is the closest he can get to a factory simulator inside his living room.
Williams’ GBP 15M driver-in-the-loop simulator
Head to Grove and the scale changes completely. Williams rebuilt its DIL suite in 2025 for roughly GBP 15 million. The cockpit is a clone of Albon’s FW47, down to the seat mold, wheel, pedals and harnesses. The platform rotates, pitches and vibrates just enough to trick his inner ear without going full theme park.
- Software: rFpro-based environment with Williams’ own aero maps, suspension geometries, power-unit modes and tire models.
- Track models: laser scans with millimeter precision, including curb profiles, cambers and grip evolution.
- Personnel: simulator drivers like Oliver Turvey plus engineers for software, performance and systems sit behind the screens feeding him live data.
- Purpose: by the time Albon arrives for his Wednesday session, baseline setups are done; he only refines balance and strategy before the car ships to the circuit.
Can you build something similar?
| Piece | Albon’s choice | Realistic alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Chassis | Pro-Sim Evolution F1 (€10k+) | Sim-Lab P1-X, Trak Racer TRX (€900–€1,500) |
| Wheelbase | Leo Bodnar SimSteering2 Pro (€3k) | Simucube 2 Pro, Moza R21 (€1,500–€2,200) |
| Pedals | Pro-Sim hydraulic (€2k) | Heusinkveld Ultimate+, Simucube ActivePedal (€1,200–€2,500) |
| Wheel | Cube Controls F-PRO Color Edition (€1k) | Gomez GXL Pro, Ascher Racing F64 (€700–€1,100) |
| Displays | Triple BenQ 4K Ultra HD Gaming Monitor | Triple IPS 165 Hz or 49” ultrawide |
| Software | iRacing, rFactor 2, ACC, F1, team tools | Stick with one title and add telemetry review |
Budget roughly €20,000–€30,000 if you want to mimic his home rig seriously. The Williams simulator is out of reach, but the workflow behind it is not.
Lessons from Albon’s workflow
- Match ergonomics to the real car. Your brain learns faster when seat, pedals and steering geometry stay identical.
- Prioritize pedal quality. A pressure-based brake shortens the path to consistent lap times more than a higher-torque wheelbase.
- Use triples for reference points. A stable field of view beats chasing the latest VR headset when you care about rhythm.
- Treat software as experiments. Whether it is iRacing or rF2, log data, change one variable and review telemetry afterwards.
- See the sim as a lab, not a game. Albon’s edge comes from structured sessions, not endless grinding - copy the intent, even if the hardware budget stays modest.
Albon’s rigs prove that realism is a mix of hardware, ergonomics and discipline. Copy the mindset and workflow, and even a humble rig can deliver outsized gains.