Assetto Corsa has two kinds of keyboard controls. The first is the list of shortcuts that work for everybody, also with a wheel: ABS, traction control, cameras, replay. The second is driving the car with the keys, or with the mouse, when you do not have a wheel yet.
This page has both. I checked the shortcut list on 5 October 2026 against the one the Steam community has kept for the game for years. There are 31 of them in the tables below.
Driving aids
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + A | ABS on or off |
| Ctrl + T | Cycle the traction control modes |
| Ctrl + G | Automatic gearbox on or off |
| Ctrl + I | Racing line on or off |
| Ctrl + M | Mouse steering on or off |
| 1 to 0 | Turbo boost, on cars that have it |
These are the ones I would learn first. Ctrl + A and Ctrl + T let you change ABS and traction control from the cockpit without going back to the pits. They only do something on cars that have those systems in real life. An old Lotus has no ABS to switch on.
Cameras
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| F1 | Cycle the car cameras |
| F2 | Random cameras |
| F3 | Track cameras |
| F5 | Pivot camera around the car |
| F6 | Cycle the on board cameras |
| F11 | Virtual mirror on or off |
| Ctrl + plus or minus | Change the on board field of view |
F1 is the key you press the most. It goes through the cockpit, bonnet, bumper and chase views. If you drive on a single screen, press F11 too: the virtual mirror puts a rear view at the top of the screen, and you need it as soon as you race against other cars.
Session, replay and apps
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + O | Restart the session |
| Ctrl + R | Replay |
| Ctrl + S | Slow motion in a replay |
| Ctrl + H | Show or hide the apps |
| Ctrl + L | Driver names on or off |
| Ctrl + Q | Damage display on or off |
| Ctrl + J | Show the damage display |
| F9 | Leaderboard at the bottom on or off |
Ctrl + O is the practice key. You make a mistake on the out lap, you press it, and you are back in the pits with a fresh car in a few seconds. Ctrl + H clears the screen of every app, which is nice for a screenshot or a video.
Display and other keys
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Plus or minus | Change the force feedback strength |
| Page Up or Page Down | Adjust the exposure |
| Ctrl + Shift + plus or minus | Change the saturation |
| F8 | Screenshot from the game |
| F12 | Steam screenshot |
| Home | Open or close the console |
| F11 in the menu | Full screen or window |
Online
| Key | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ctrl + 1 | Camera to the previous car |
| Ctrl + 2 | Camera back to your car |
| Ctrl + 3 | Camera to the next car |
Can you play Assetto Corsa with a keyboard?
Yes. The game has a keyboard mode and you can finish races with it.
It is the hardest way to drive this sim, and I want to be straight about why. A key is on or off. When you press left, the game turns the wheel for you at a set speed until you let go. You cannot hold a quarter of steering, a third of throttle or 60% of brake the way you do with a wheel and pedals, and that is most of what driving on the limit is.
So do not judge your pace against people on a wheel. Use the keyboard to learn the tracks and the game, and enjoy it for what it is.
How to set up keyboard steering
Go to Options, then Controls, and pick Keyboard as the input. The driving keys are listed there: steering, throttle, brake, gear up, gear down and handbrake. By default the arrow keys drive the car. Check the gear keys on that screen and change them if they are not under your fingers. If you use Content Manager, the same options are under Settings, Assetto Corsa, Controls.
What I would bind:
| Function | Key |
|---|---|
| Steer left and right | Left and right arrow |
| Throttle | Up arrow |
| Brake | Down arrow |
| Gear up and gear down | Two keys under your left hand, like A and Z |
| Handbrake | Space |
| Look back | A key next to the gear keys |
Right hand on the arrows, left hand on the gears. That way you never have to move a hand in a corner.
The keyboard screen also has three sliders. They decide how the game turns the wheel when you press a key.
| Slider | What it does |
|---|---|
| Steering speed | How fast the wheel turns when you hold a key |
| Opposite lock speed | How fast it turns when you steer against a slide |
| Return rate | How fast it goes back to the centre when you let go |
A set of values that players on the Steam forum share for this is steering speed 2.5, opposite lock speed 4.0 and return rate 1.0. I would start there. If the car darts into corners, lower the steering speed. If you cannot catch a slide in time, raise the opposite lock speed.
Mouse steering
Press Ctrl + M on track, or switch it on in the same controls screen. Now the mouse steers: move it left and right and the wheel follows.
This fixes the biggest problem of the keyboard. With the mouse you can hold the steering at any angle, so long corners become one smooth movement, not a row of taps. Throttle, brake and gears stay on keys or go on the mouse buttons, as you prefer.
It feels strange for the first 20 minutes. Give it one evening before you decide. If the car is nervous, lower the mouse steering speed in the menu until a small hand movement gives a small steering movement.
Assists to switch on with a keyboard
With keys, the throttle and the brake are all or nothing. The assists do the fine work your fingers cannot do.
| Assist | Setting |
|---|---|
| ABS | Factory, or On for every car |
| Traction control | Factory, or On for every car |
| Automatic gearbox | On while you learn |
| Auto clutch | On |
| Auto blip | On |
| Stability control | Start around 50%, then lower it as you improve |
| Racing line | On while you learn a track |
Without ABS, a full press on the brake key locks the front wheels at once. Without traction control, a full press on the throttle key spins a powerful rear wheel drive car out of every slow corner. This is not about being a beginner. It is the only way to make an on and off input work.
How to be faster on a keyboard
- Pick the right car. Start with something slow and front wheel drive, like the Abarth 500. It forgives a full throttle input. Leave the GT3 cars for later and the old Formula 1 cars for when you have a wheel.
- Tap, do not hold. In a fast corner, short taps on the steering key give you a rough average of half lock. The same goes for the throttle on the exit of slow corners.
- Brake early and in a straight line. You cannot release the brake slowly into the corner, so finish your braking before you turn.
- Lift earlier than you think. A lift before the corner costs less time than a slide in the middle of it.
- Use Ctrl + O. Restart, do the corner again, and stay on one track until you know it.
When you start to enjoy it, the next step is not expensive. A controller already gives you analogue steering and pedals, and my Assetto Corsa controller settings will get you going. If you want a wheel, I picked the best steering wheels for Assetto Corsa, and the Assetto Corsa wheel and FFB settings page covers the setup.
For the driving itself, read my Assetto Corsa beginner tips. If you also play the GT3 game, the keys are different there: see the ACC keyboard shortcuts.
FAQ
What are the keyboard controls for Assetto Corsa?
By default the arrow keys drive the car. On top of that there are shortcuts such as Ctrl + A for ABS, Ctrl + T for traction control, Ctrl + G for the automatic gearbox, F1 for the cameras and Ctrl + O to restart the session.
How do I turn on mouse steering in Assetto Corsa?
Press Ctrl + M while you are in the car, or switch it on in Options, Controls, with Keyboard as the input.
How do I change the camera in Assetto Corsa?
F1 cycles the car cameras, F3 goes to the track cameras, F5 is a camera you can pivot around the car and F6 cycles the on board cameras.
How do I turn off ABS and traction control in Assetto Corsa?
Ctrl + A switches ABS and Ctrl + T cycles the traction control modes. They only work on cars that have those systems.
How do I restart quickly in Assetto Corsa?
Press Ctrl + O. It restarts the session and puts you back in the pits.
Is mouse steering better than the keyboard in Assetto Corsa?
For most people, yes. The mouse lets you hold the steering at any angle, and the arrow keys only give you full left or full right.
Can I be as fast on a keyboard as on a wheel?
No. You can learn the tracks and race the AI, but a wheel and pedals give you inputs a key cannot. A controller is a cheap step in between.