Brand-specific wheel profiles

Learn about Brand-specific wheel profiles

Updated October 3, 2025

If Brand-specific wheel profiles in F1 25 are confusing or feel wrong on track, you’re not alone. Wheels from Logitech, Thrustmaster, Fanatec, Moza, and others all report inputs slightly differently, and F1 25 ships with brand presets to bridge those differences. This guide shows you exactly how to pick, calibrate, and save the right profile so your wheel feels natural and consistent.

Quick Answer

Use the game’s preset for your wheel brand, then calibrate. Go to Settings > Controls and Vibration > Controls Schemes, pick your wheel’s Brand-specific wheel profile, run Calibration (steering/pedals), map essentials (DRS, Overtake, MFD), tune Force Feedback, and Save as a custom profile. Keep your driver/firmware updated and match wheelbase rotation to the game’s soft lock.

Why Brand-specific wheel profiles Feels So Hard at First

You plug in a premium wheel, but steering feels “off,” pedals invert, or buttons don’t match on-screen prompts. It’s frustrating.
Why it happens: F1 25 supports many wheel ecosystems. Each brand (and even each base/rim) can use different default ranges, axes, and button IDs. The built‑in presets are a starting point, not a finished setup.
By the end of this guide, you’ll confidently choose the right preset, calibrate it properly, and save a rock‑solid profile you can trust in any mode.

What Brand-specific wheel profiles Actually Means in F1 25

A Brand-specific wheel profile is a pre-made control scheme tailored to a wheel family (e.g., Logitech, Thrustmaster, Fanatec, Moza).
It typically includes:
- Pre-mapped buttons for common functions (gear shift, pause, MFD).
- Sensible default ranges for steering and pedals.
- Baseline Force Feedback values tuned for that brand’s typical torque and feel.
Important: These are starting points. You should calibrate and adjust to your hardware and preference.

Before You Start (Prerequisites)

Hardware:
- Your steering wheel/base, pedals, and shifter (if used).
- Stable USB connection directly to the PC/console (avoid unpowered hubs).
Software/Firmware:
- Update your wheelbase and pedal firmware using your brand’s app:
  - Logitech G Hub, Thrustmaster Control Panel/Drivers, Fanatec Control Panel/FanaLab, Moza Pit House, etc.
- On console, ensure the base is in the correct platform mode (e.g., PS/Xbox/PC toggle or compatibility mode).
Game:
- F1 25 updated to the latest patch.
- Know the menus you’ll use:
  - Settings > Controls and Vibration
  - Control Schemes
  - Calibration
  - Vibration & Force Feedback
  - Button Functions / MFD mappings

Step-by-Step: How to Fix / Improve Brand-specific wheel profiles

Connect and prepare your wheel

Plug in the wheel/pedals, power on, and let the base calibrate.
In your brand’s software:
- Set steering rotation to either “Auto” or a high value (e.g., 900–1080°) to let F1 25 apply a soft lock, OR set a fixed 360–420° if you prefer a shorter throw.
- Set Spring and Damper to 0 in the driver unless your vendor specifically recommends otherwise (let the game control these).
- Apply and save.

Launch F1 25 and open the correct menu

From the main menu: Settings > Controls and Vibration > Control Schemes.
You should see your wheel listed (e.g., “Logitech G923,” “Thrustmaster T300,” “Fanatec CSL DD”).

Select the Brand-specific wheel profile

Highlight your wheel’s preset and select it.
If you see multiple for your brand, pick the one that matches your exact base/rim when possible; otherwise choose the closest match.

Calibrate steering and pedals

Go to Calibration:
- Steering: Turn full left and right when prompted; confirm the on‑screen wheel reaches 100% both directions. If not, increase rotation in the driver or recalibrate.
- Throttle/Brake/Clutch: Press each pedal fully. If your brake reads backwards, toggle Invert (or Separate/Combined pedal mode in your driver if needed).
Success looks like: bars reaching 0–100% smoothly, no spiking, no inverted behavior.

Map essential controls

Open Button Functions:
- Must-have mappings: Gear Up/Down, DRS, Overtake/ERS, Pit Limiter, MFD Open, MFD Navigation (Up/Down/Left/Right), Confirm/Back, Camera Look, Flashback (optional), Radio.
- Also useful: Brake Bias +/−, Differential On/Off Throttle +/−, Fuel Mix (if applicable), Increment/Decrement ERS (if you prefer steps).
Tip: Map MFD shortcuts to wheel face buttons so you can adjust Bias/Diff on corner entry/exit without menu diving.

Tune Force Feedback (baseline)

Go to Vibration & Force Feedback:
- Vibration & FFB: On
- Overall Strength: Start midrange; you should feel detail over kerbs without “flat-topping” (clipping) on straights.
- On‑Throttle/Off‑Throttle effects, Road/ Kerb detail: Start moderate; increase until details are noticeable but not noisy.
- Wheel Damper: Low to moderate; adds weight at speed. Too high = sluggish response.
- Understeer Effect/Enhancement (if present): Toggle to taste; it reduces FFB as front tyres slide. Great for learning, some advanced drivers prefer it off.
Success looks like: wheel feels detailed on kerbs/bumps, heavier in high‑speed corners, lighter when understeering; no rattling or constant clipping.

Save your custom profile

In Control Schemes, choose Save or Create New.
Name it clearly, e.g., “Fanatec CSL DD – TT,” “Logitech G923 – Race.”
Create a second copy for wet races or longer stints if you like a tad more damping.

Validate on track (Time Trial is best)

Load a familiar circuit (e.g., Austria or Spain).
Check soft lock: the wheel should hit a gentle stop at full lock.
Ensure DRS/ERS buttons work and the MFD responds correctly.
If anything feels off, pause > Settings > tweak and resume.

Common Mistakes and Myths About Brand-specific wheel profiles

Picking the wrong preset
- Symptom: Buttons don’t match labels, soft lock feels wrong.
- Fix: Select the exact brand/base preset or the closest match, then remap.
Skipping calibration
- Symptom: Steering too sensitive or dull; pedals hit 100% early or not at all.
- Fix: Always run Calibration after selecting a preset.
Mismatched rotation
- Symptom: Car feels twitchy or can’t reach max steering.
- Fix: Either use high rotation (900–1080°) with in‑game soft lock, or pick a fixed 360–420° in both driver and game for consistency.
Over-cranking FFB
- Myth: “Higher strength = more realism.”
- Reality: Too high causes clipping and masks detail.
- Fix: Aim for clear detail, not maximum effort.
Driver overlays fighting the game
- Symptom: Springy centering or “sticky” self-aligning.
- Fix: Disable driver-level spring/centering; let the game control FFB.

Troubleshooting and “What If It Still Feels Wrong?”

Wheel not detected
- Likely cause: Connected after launching, wrong console mode, or outdated firmware.
- Try: Power cycle the base, switch to correct platform mode, update firmware, plug directly into the machine, then relaunch the game.
No Force Feedback at all
- Likely cause: FFB disabled or zero strength; driver damper overpowering; Steam Input (PC) interference.
- Try: Vibration & FFB = On; set Strength to a reasonable value; set driver Spring/Damper to 0; on Steam, set F1 25 to “Disable Steam Input” in Controller settings.
Wheel pulls left/right on straights
- Likely cause: Calibration off or FFB clipping/road effects too high.
- Try: Recalibrate steering; reduce Road/Kerb and Strength slightly; check your desk/rig for flex.
Pedals inverted or won’t hit 100%
- Likely cause: Wrong pedal mode or inversion needed.
- Try: Toggle Invert in Calibration; check brand software (separate vs combined pedals); recalibrate fully.
Double inputs or menu scrolling by itself
- Likely cause: Multiple controllers active or overlapping binds.
- Try: Unplug other gamepads, remove duplicate binds in Button Functions, and set only one active Control Scheme.
Soft lock not working
- Likely cause: Low driver rotation cap or incompatible mode.
- Try: Set driver rotation high (900–1080°) or enable “Auto”; confirm in‑game soft lock is active by turning to full lock in the garage.
Console-specific: Button icons don’t match rim labels
- Likely cause: Different platform mapping or compatibility mode.
- Try: Switch the base to the proper console mode; reselect the preset; remap key functions.

Note: Don’t max every slider “to feel more.” It will hide useful detail and make the car harder to catch at the limit.

Pro Tips Once You’re Comfortable

Save multiple profiles
- Create a “Learning” profile (slightly more understeer effect, more damping) and a “Race” profile (cleaner detail, less damping).
Map clutch bite point and hold clutch
- Helpful for race starts and pit exits. Practice a few launches in Time Trial.
Use consistent test conditions
- Validate changes on the same track/tyre compound with similar fuel to feel genuine differences.
Consider per-brand vendor features
- If your wheel supports features like advanced vibration channels, check your brand’s software for per-game profiles. Keep them subtle so they don’t mask in‑game FFB.

How to Know It’s Working (Definition of Done)

Run this quick checklist in Time Trial:

Steering reaches a gentle soft lock at full lock without fighting you.
Pedals read smoothly from 0–100% with no inversion issues.
You feel clear kerb/road detail without harsh rattling or constant clipping.
DRS, Overtake, Pit Limiter, and MFD shortcuts all respond instantly.
Lap consistency improves because the wheel feels predictable corner to corner.

If you can tick all five, your Brand-specific wheel profile is dialed in.

Force Feedback made simple in F1 25: turn detail up without clipping.
Pedal calibration and brake technique: get consistent trail-braking.
MFD shortcuts and racecraft: map smart, manage tyres/fuel/ERS on the fly.

Now that your Brand-specific wheel profiles are set up correctly, the next big gain usually comes from refining your FFB and braking. Check out those guides on F125 Help next.