The input system in Freerider is the same as before, so I suspect there must be something that has changed on your system.
The automatic Windows 10 update broke the USB drivers for a lot of people, so that would be the first things that I would investigate further. I understand that you have already tried it, but I believe on some systems it might be more persistent and you might need to use a different method. Here is the method that usually works for most people (the one I guess that you have already tried).
You might want to try to search for some other methods if that didn't solve the issue on your computer. Try searching for "windows 10 usb joystick driver" on Youtube for example, here are some links: 1 2 3 4 5
Also check, just in case - that you don't have any other joysticks/controllers connected, that might cause a conflict. And, make sure you uninstall vJoy and Smartpropoplus if you have them installed. Their driver messes with things when connecting via USB.