For most GT and touring car driving, a backrest that leans back about 15 to 25 degrees from upright works best in a sim racing seat. That angle keeps your shoulders against the seat, your arms slightly bent and your eyes level with the screen. Formula cars use a much flatter angle, while rally and truck sims sit more upright.
So the right angle depends on the cars you drive, the height of your wheel and how long you race. In this guide you learn how each angle feels, how to set it step by step and when a reclining seat or a fixed back seat makes more sense.
Why the recline angle changes how you drive
The backrest angle decides how your body handles every brake zone and every corner.
When you brake hard, your body wants to slide forward. A backrest that leans back slightly lets your shoulders and lower back push against the seat, so your leg stays free to press the pedal. If the backrest stands too upright, you hold yourself up with your stomach muscles. If it leans back too far, you lift your head to see the apex and your neck gets tired.
At SIMGASM, seating position, steering wheel angle and pedal geometry are treated as performance and endurance factors, not cosmetic details. That is also why every product is tested as part of a complete simulator rather than on its own.
What happens to your arms and shoulders
Your arms work best with a slight bend at the elbow. Sit back, stretch one arm over the top of the wheel and check that your wrist rests on the rim. If you need to lift your shoulder off the backrest to reach it, the angle is too flat or the seat sits too far back.
What happens to your view
The recline angle also moves your eyes. A flatter backrest drops your head, so your screen or monitor stand often needs to come down as well. Check this before you lock everything in place.
SIMGASM | Core Recline Seat - Black
Which angle suits which type of racing?
Each discipline has its own typical seating position, and your backrest angle should follow it.
GT, touring cars and endurance
Start at about 15 to 25 degrees back from vertical. This is the classic GT position: knees bent, pedals slightly below hip height and the wheel in front of your chest. It feels natural for long stints in iRacing, Assetto Corsa Competizione or Le Mans Ultimate.
Formula and open wheel cars
Formula cars place you much lower, with your feet often at or above hip height. The backrest leans back much further than in a GT car. A dedicated Formula shell, like the Atlas Formula, supports that position better than a GT seat that you simply tilt back.
Rally, drift and truck sims
These sims ask for a more upright position. You need to see far ahead, use a handbrake and turn the wheel a lot. A backrest close to upright, around 10 to 15 degrees, gives you that freedom.
Want a deeper look at the seat itself? Read whether a bucket seat or reclining seat suits your style before you buy.
How do you set the recline angle step by step?
A simple routine of five steps gets you close to the perfect angle in about ten minutes.
First, set the seat height. Our guide on how high a sim racing seat should sit in your rig explains this in detail. Next, slide the seat until your knee keeps a small bend with the brake pedal fully pressed. Then set the backrest to your starting angle for the cars you drive most.
After that, adjust the wheel height so the top of the rim sits around shoulder height. Finally, drive ten laps and change only one thing at a time. If your lower back aches after a session, read how to avoid back pain in a sim racing seat.
SIMGASM | Dual locking seat slider set - Black
Reclining seat or fixed back seat?
A reclining seat lets you change the angle, while a fixed back seat locks you into one angle that stays the same every session.
The SIMGASM Core Recline Seat has a reclining mechanism that moves the backrest from a near vertical position to a relaxed angle. Its leather and suede cover feels comfortable for long sessions, and a 193 x 193 mm pattern underneath also fits standard office chair mechanisms. This makes it a good choice when you share the rig or race several disciplines.
The Core Bucket Racing Seat works differently. Once you lock the backrest for driving, its angle stays fixed. The folding mechanism only collapses the seat into a compact position for storage. In return you get a steel frame, pronounced side bolsters and a 360 x 385 mm bolt pattern for a firm bottom mount. Both seats are part of the Core sim racing seats range and carry the standard 2 year SIMGASM warranty.
SIMGASM | Core Bucket Racing Seat - Black
Small details that make a big difference
A few extra checks help you keep the same angle from session to session.
Mark your favourite backrest setting with a small piece of tape, so you find it again after a family member uses the rig. Check that both recline levers lock fully, because one loose side lets the backrest twist under heavy braking. And place the seat on a stiff frame. On an aluminium sim racing cockpit, the seat slider bolts straight to the profile, so the angle you set stays where you put it.
Johan Akkerman, founder and CEO of SIMGASM, won the DNRT BMW E30 Cup in 2023 and 2024. His view from real racing is simple: comfort, adjustability and seating geometry matter as much as pure stiffness when you want to stay consistent over a long session.
Questions about the recline angle of a sim racing seat
These short answers cover the questions sim racers ask most about backrest angles.
What is a good starting angle for GT racing?
Start at about 15 to 25 degrees back from upright. Then fine tune by one notch at a time until your shoulders stay against the seat while you steer.
Does a more reclined seat make you faster?
Not by itself. A consistent angle that matches your car and lets you brake hard without sliding helps you set repeatable lap times.
Can you use one seat for GT and Formula?
A reclining seat covers GT and rally well. For a true Formula position, a seat with a dedicated Formula shell or upper section feels more natural.
How often should you check the recline levers?
Check them every few weeks and after someone else used the rig. Both sides should lock fully with no play.
Want to learn more? The SIMGASM experts are happy to help.
