Last updated: November 2026. Test filmed at the PassionSim store and released on September 23, 2026.
Sim pedals are judged first and foremost on braking. To find out which one comes closest to a real race car, we asked Mikaël Grenier, a Mercedes-AMG GT3 factory driver, to try two of our pedal sets in our simulator: the pneumatic SRP GT-R and the hydraulic Conspit CPP.EVO. This article sums up what he said, pedal by pedal, along with what he explained about braking in a real GT3. The video is in French.
THE SHORT ANSWER
- Test setup: iRacing, Mercedes-AMG GT3, Spa-Francorchamps, 20 Nm direct drive wheelbase.
- Mikaël's overall realism score for the simulator: 7.5 out of 10. Driving (lines, braking points, cornering speeds) is "98% the same"; g-forces and what you feel through the seat are missing.
- SRP GT-R: brake pressure very close to the real car, slightly shorter travel than a GT3, ABS "very easy to control". This is the set he picked.
- Conspit CPP.EVO: longer travel and a softer brake, which made ABS and light braking harder to modulate. Stiffness can be changed by swapping the elastomers.
- His most useful comparison: the SRP feels like fresh pads at the start of a stint, the CPP.EVO like hot brakes after an hour of racing.
Who is Mikaël Grenier
Mikaël Grenier races GT3 for Mercedes-AMG. He signed his first official factory contract for the 2022 season, after a strong 2021 and an open seat at the manufacturer. He names the Bathurst 12 Hour in Australia, won in 2026, among his best victories. In endurance racing he shares the car with two or three teammates, so track time before the race is very short: sometimes six or seven laps before qualifying.
He sim races at home, mostly in winter, for fun rather than competition. His feedback is that of a driver who knows the real car, not of a specialist in one pedal brand.
Test setup
| Item | Setup |
|---|---|
| Sim | iRacing |
| Car | Mercedes-AMG GT3, the car Mikaël races |
| Track | Spa-Francorchamps |
| Wheelbase | 20 Nm direct drive |
| Pedals compared | SRP GT-R (pneumatic), then Conspit CPP.EVO (hydraulic) |
| Method | Full laps on each set, with live comments |
His first adjustment, before even driving: raise the pedals. In a GT3, the feet sit higher relative to the seat than in most cockpits set up by default. The rest of the position (seat back, distance to the wheel) already matched his car. If you want a realistic position, this is the first thing to check on your cockpit.
What the simulator reproduces, and what it lacks
Before the test, we asked him to rate how realistic the experience would be out of 10. His answer: 7.5. He draws a clear line between two things.
| Faithfully reproduced | Missing or different |
|---|---|
| Racing lines and how you approach the track | G-forces under braking and in corners |
| Braking points and cornering speeds ("really identical") | Contact with the tarmac, what comes up through the seat |
| Car behaviour: stable rear, understeer on entry | The sense of speed and danger |
| Steering angle needed in corners | Part of the brake feel in the foot |
On the steering, one reservation: bumps came through the wheel a little too much at some points of the track. That is a force feedback setting, not a hardware limit. He credits laser-scanned tracks and cars and today's direct drive wheelbases for the overall realism.
"Everything on the technical side, the driving itself, is almost identical."
SRP GT-R pneumatic: his feedback
The SRP GT-R uses a pneumatic cylinder on the brake; PassionSim is its exclusive dealer in Canada. How it works is covered in our SRP GT-R vs GT-S guide. Here is what Mikaël said while driving.
| Criterion | SRP GT-R compared with his GT3 |
|---|---|
| Brake pressure | Very similar; slightly higher in the real car |
| Pedal travel | Slightly shorter than a GT3 |
| Initial bite | Very similar |
| Braking points, cornering speeds | Identical |
| ABS control | "Very easy" |
The point he came back to most often is ABS: a stiff brake tells him where he is relative to the ABS threshold and lets him come out of it at the right moment (see below). He also found the SRP easier for partial braking, at 20 to 30%% pressure, when entering a slow corner with a little brake: the stiff pedal makes the same pressure repeatable lap after lap.
Configure an SRP GT-R
Choose the layout, number of pedals and accessories in the configurator.
SRP GT-R configurator SRP GT-R product pageConspit CPP.EVO hydraulic: his feedback
The Conspit CPP.EVO is a fully hydraulic pedal set: the brake works on an oil circuit and is measured by a pressure sensor. The differences between these technologies are explained in our sim racing pedals guide.
| Criterion | Conspit CPP.EVO compared with the SRP GT-R and his GT3 |
|---|---|
| Pedal travel | Longer than the SRP; between the SRP and his GT3, possibly a bit too long |
| Resistance | Lower; softer than his GT3 |
| ABS vibration | More noticeable (active haptics during this test) |
| ABS control | Harder, because of the softness |
| Partial braking (20-30%) | Harder to modulate than on the SRP |
| Overall precision | "Very precise", good feel |
Two important nuances. First, ABS vibration depends mostly on the haptic settings, and both sets offer this kind of adjustment. Second, the CPP.EVO's softness is not fixed: the brake elastomers can be swapped to firm up the initial bite. On this set you need to spend more time on setup to get a GT3-like feel. Mikaël only tried the configuration installed that day.
Fresh pads or hot brakes
In a real GT car, brake travel changes during a stint: short with fresh brakes at the start, longer after about an hour once the whole system is hot. According to Mikaël, the SRP GT-R reproduces the start of a stint and the CPP.EVO the end of one, though with less resistance than the car.
Why a stiff brake helps you manage ABS
A GT3 is designed around ABS and drivers use it. Mikaël points out, however, that ABS fixes a mistake: when it kicks in, the wheel would be locked without it. His method:
- Use ABS at the start of the braking zone, when pressure is highest.
- Come out of it before turning in by gradually releasing the pedal.
- Staying in ABS on corner entry creates a lot of understeer.
To leave ABS at the right moment, you need to feel exactly how much pressure you are applying. With a pedal that is too soft, the same change in pressure takes a large foot movement and becomes hard to modulate. That is why he found the SRP easier than the CPP.EVO set up soft. The same principle applies to any pedal set: a force-sensing brake set up stiff is easier to memorize.
"That is what is hard in sim if you don't have the right pedals: pedals that are too soft."
The verdict, and how to choose
If he had to keep only one, Mikaël would pick the SRP GT-R, for its stiff brake and how easy it makes ABS control. The CPP.EVO remains a precise pedal set, which he liked on both throttle and brake, and which gets closer to a GT3 once the elastomers are firmed up. He also considers the simulator useful for his preparation: "100%", it is the most precise tool he has when real track time is limited.
| Your priority | Our recommendation |
|---|---|
| Stiff brake out of the box, easy ABS modulation | SRP GT-R |
| Fully hydraulic set, stiffness adjustable with elastomers | Conspit CPP.EVO |
| Deciding between several high-end brands | Our Simgrade, Heusinkveld and VRS comparison |
These conclusions come from a short test, with one car on one track.
The best way to choose is still to try them in your own driving position: contact us to book a try. For a wider comparison, read our Simgrade, Heusinkveld and VRS comparison.
See the pedals from the test
Product pages, availability and options for each set.
SRP GT-R Conspit CPP.EVO All pedalsFrequently asked questions
Which pedal set did Mikaël Grenier prefer?
The pneumatic SRP GT-R, for its pressure close to a real GT3 and how easy it makes ABS control. He also found the Conspit CPP.EVO precise, but softer and with longer travel.
Is a sim realistic for a professional driver?
Mikaël rates it 7.5 out of 10. Racing lines, braking points and cornering speeds are practically identical; g-forces and what you feel through the seat are missing.
Is a GT3 brake stiffer than sim pedals?
According to Mikaël, a GT3 needs slightly more pressure than the SRP GT-R, with slightly longer travel. The CPP.EVO, as set up during the test, was softer than the car.
Can you stiffen the Conspit CPP.EVO brake?
Yes. The brake elastomers can be swapped to change how stiff the initial bite is.
How do you use ABS in a GT3 on iRacing?
Use it at the start of the braking zone, then gradually release the pedal to come out of it before turning in. Staying in ABS on corner entry creates understeer.
Can I try these pedals before buying?
Contact us to book a try at our store; which models are available for demo varies.
Written by the PassionSim team, a Canadian sim racing store. We sell, build and drive this gear every day — send us your questions or come try a simulator in store.