After our report on Fanatec Reveals Red Bull Formula Cockpit and Wheel, one question kept coming up from drivers already running an older Formula V2 or V2.5 rim: is the new November release just another team paint job, or did Fanatec actually change the hardware underneath?
Unlike the 2024 Red Bull limited edition (which was built on the older 270 mm V2.5 frame), the new ClubSport Formula V3 Oracle Red Bull Racing Wheel is built on the wider ClubSport Formula V3 chassis and ships with top-shelf paddle hardware right out of the box.
270 mm vs. 290 mm: More Room for Your Hands
The first difference you will feel on track is the width. The original Formula V2 and Formula V2.5 X measure 270 mm across. That tight diameter makes for quick steering inputs in open-wheel cars, but it can feel cramped on your wrists and thumbs during long endurance stints or when driving GT3 and prototype cars.
The Formula V3 and Red Bull V3 stretch the frame out to 290 mm. Those extra 20 mm open up the space around the grips and face buttons, giving larger hands plenty of breathing room while making the wheel feel much more natural across both open-wheelers and tin-tops. Both models keep a rigid 5 mm solid carbon fiber front plate, with total weight sitting around 1,250 g on the V2.5 and 1,350 g on the V3 (including the pre-installed metal QR2 Wheel-Side quick release).
- Diameter: 270 mm compact open-wheel width.
- Display: 1-inch (128x64) white OLED screen for basic speed, gear, and tuning numbers.
- Thumb & Face Controls: One 7-way FunkySwitch, one 2-way analog stick, two light thumb encoders, two 12-way rotaries, one 4-way mode switch, and two toggle switches.
- Shifters: 2-paddle snap-dome shifters (V2) or 2-paddle magnetic shifters (V2.5); dual clutch APM sold separately.
- Grips & Faceplate: Fixed Alcantara or leather grips on a standard woven carbon plate.
- Diameter: 290 mm wider stance for open-wheel, prototype, and GT cars.
- Display: 2.7-inch white OLED screen with 5-screen Intelligent Telemetry Mode and higher-mounted RevLEDs.
- Thumb & Face Controls: Dual 7-way FunkySwitches (left and right), stiffer thumb dials with push buttons, and three full 12-way rotary switches.
- Shifters: Pre-installed 6-paddle Podium Advanced Paddle Module with forged carbon plates and dual Hall-sensor analog clutches.
- Grips & Faceplate: User-replaceable perforated leather grips and forged carbon faceplate with 2026 RB22 graphics.
A Real 2.7-Inch Telemetry Screen Instead of a 1-Inch Strip
On the Formula V2 and V2.5, the tiny 1-inch OLED screen could only squeeze in your current gear, speed, or a single Tuning Menu value at a time. On the Formula V3 platform, that small readout is replaced by a 2.7-inch white OLED display running Intelligent Telemetry Mode (ITM).
Instead of staring at a single number, you can cycle through five multi-stat telemetry screens showing current and last lap times, car position, lap counters, speed, and gear all at once. Fanatec also moved the nine RGB RevLEDs higher up on the top edge of the rim so they sit directly in your line of sight, flanked by six vertical RGB FlagLEDs for yellow flags, pit limiter, and tire slip warnings.
Fixed Thumb Dials, Dual FunkySwitches, and Swappable Grips
Anyone who has raced hard in traffic with a Formula V2 knows how easy it is to brush the thumb encoders mid-corner and accidentally click your brake bias or differential setting. On the V3, Fanatec stiffened the detent resistance on both thumb rotary dials so every click is deliberate, and added a push-button action to each dial.
The rest of the button layout got cleaned up to match how drivers actually use the wheel in a race:
- Two 7-Way FunkySwitches: The V2 only had a 7-way FunkySwitch on the right thumb and a basic 2-way analog joystick on the left. The V3 puts full 7-way FunkySwitches (up/down/left/right, push button, and rotary dial) on both sides.
- Three 12-Way Rotary Switches: On the V2, the middle dial was a 4-way selector used only to change clutch paddle modes. Because that setting now lives in the software Tuning Menu, the V3 turns all three center dials into full 12-way rotary switches with taller, easier-to-grip knobs.
- No More Exposed Toggle Switches: The two small metal toggle switches on the V2 face are gone on the V3, freeing up clean finger clearance around the 11 redesigned face buttons.
- User-Replaceable Grips: While worn Alcantara grips on an old V2 meant a tedious teardown, the V3 uses bolt-on perforated leather grips that you can swap out yourself.
What the Red Bull V3 Adds Over the Standard Formula V3
It is also worth separating the standard $349.99 ClubSport Formula V3 from the Oracle Red Bull Racing Edition launching in mid-November 2026.
The standard Formula V3 ships with the two-paddle ClubSport Magnetic Paddle Module and a woven carbon fiber faceplate. Stepping up to the Red Bull V3 gets you a forged carbon fiber faceplate styled after Red Bull's 2026 RB22 Formula 1 car and a pre-installed Podium Advanced Paddle Module (APM)—normally a $200 add-on by itself. That gives you four magnetic carbon shifter and auxiliary paddles (ideal for mapping DRS and overtake right behind your fingers) plus dual Hall-sensor analog clutch paddles for bite-point standing starts. Better yet, unlike the 2024 V2.5 Red Bull drop that was capped at 2,024 units and vanished in minutes, the new Red Bull V3 is a regular production model.
