P1-X Sim-Lab – We tested Romain Grosjean’s cockpit!

In recent years and especially since confinement, more and more players and motorsport enthusiasts are getting into simracing. I have to say that Romain Grosjean, Charles Leclerc,George Russell and many others have greatly participated in this democratization, in the same way as the 24 hours of Le Mans virtual games or the championship of F1 virtual.

The accessory manufacturers, Thrustmaster, Fanatec and Logitech have long understood that the simracing market was booming and have therefore accelerated the development of steering wheels and pedals so that they are closer to what is done in reality .

With the arrival of Direct Drive, pedal sets that can withstand more than 100 kg of pressure on the brake pedal, it is today almost unthinkable to attach all this pretty equipment to a desk as we were able to do just a few years ago. years.

This is why we are seeing cockpits of all kinds flourish. There are two trends: aluminum profile frames and tubular frames. The P1-X that Romain Grosjean uses is made of aluminum profiles, which in our opinion is the best possible configuration for two major reasons: modularity and rigidity.

In details

A good cockpit must be completely modular to adapt to any type of body shape, but above all so that you can adjust your ideal position. What the P1-X offers perfectly meets these criteria, namely that it is possible to adjust the pedals and the steering wheel both in height and depth. It is even possible to add sliders at the bottom bracket if, for example, there are several of you riding on the same chassis or if you are using a tulip steering wheel.

The specificity of this Sim-Lab cockpit is that certain parts are not made of aluminum profiles such as the screen supports, directly attached to the chassis, or the steering wheel and pedal bracket attachments. Depending on the model you use, you may have supports specially designed for your equipment.

In the same vein, with regard to the gearbox, the handbrake or even the support for a button box or a keyboard, it is possible to add specific supports at a specific location so that they are perfectly positioned. The biggest fault of some (often entry-level) cockpits is that they cannot withstand the forces you apply to them.

For example, we use the HE crankset: it is impossible to attach it to a cockpit with a single inclined plate to accommodate it, at the risk of bending the whole thing when braking for the first time. So be very careful on this point when purchasing. The other important aspect is the rigidity of the whole.

Indeed, if your cockpit moves or if certain elements have play when you are driving, you will quickly go crazy! During our test, the P1-X was merciless in this regard. It doesn't move a millimeter and you can even add offset feet to vary the height of the whole thing but also to gain stability.

As for the details that make the difference, the vertical pillars of the cockpit are fixed on the outside to have more space between the seat and the horizontal profile on which you will fix the handbrake or the shifter. If, for example, you drive very close to the steering wheel, your seat will not come up against the elements attached to the chassis.

Mounting

Who says cockpit says assembly. We're not going to lie to you, assembling the P1-X is no more complicated than assembling an Ikea piece of furniture. If you take your time everything will be fine. On the other hand, if you want to drive within two hours of receiving your package, you expose yourself to some problems!

The cockpit is therefore delivered to you in separate parts and the number of screws, nuts and other parts for assembly are much greater than what you need. If, for example, you want to add a profile to simply hang your headphones, you will already have the necessary hardware.

Verdict:

This cockpit meets our expectations in every way and obviously those of Romain! The P1-X is a very rigid, modular and updatable cockpit. A real success at a competitive price.