An Inside Look at the Insanely Complex Formula 1 Steering Wheel

[onehandle]

The modern Formula 1 car is among the most amazing machines ever made. And when you’re going wheel-to-wheel with someone like four-time world champ Sebastian Vettel at 180 mph, you can’t take a hand off the wheel to do, well, anything. Every task a driver might need to do, every bit of information he might need to know, is quite literally at his fingertips.

The modern Formula 1 steering wheel is, therefore, the most amazing ever made. It is, in every way, the nerve center of the car.

That’s because an F1 car has dozens of parameters that can be adjusted on the fly, but only by the driver. Although telemetry provides a nonstop stream of data to engineers on the pitwall and at team HQ, the driver has sole control over things like differential settings, the air-fuel mix, and the torque curve. All of these settings can change several times during a race, or even a lap. Adjustments must be made while keeping both hands on the wheel and both eyes on the track, which is why a modern F1 wheel might have 35 or more knobs, buttons and switches flanking a small LCD screen introduced this season. Drivers also use small paddles behind the wheel to shift up and down as many as 4,000 times in a race, and a third paddle to engage the clutch.

The PCU-8D LCD screen, made by McLaren Electronics, is 4.3 inches wide with a resolution of 480 x 272 pixels. It can display as many as 100 pages of info and the data–everything from engine RPM and oil temperature to current lap speed and how many laps remain–can be configured by the driver or his engineer. This year marks a transition to the new technology, with some teams–including Infiniti Red Bull Racing–sticking with the older, simpler, PCU-6D for one more season.

http://www.wired.com/2014/05/formula-1-steering-wheels

Reminder: NASCAR Totally Rules Turning Left!

Disclaimer: I have paddle shifters in my car and come from the South, so I should probably shut up about NASCAR.

[DJ13]

1. "As soon as I pass Fernando I'm going back to Donkey Kong!"

[NV Whino]

2. That steering wheel is bigger than my car.

[tech3149]

3. I love F1 but I'm stuck in 1967

I still occasionally watch a race when I can but I can't get as excited about it. The technology is wonderful, like racing winged slot cars, wicked fast but too much work and nothing but a blur to the observer.
When the simpler mechanical grip regulations were in effect the racing was almost always closer. I think the last year I seriously watched was when Ayrton was killed.

My hold on F1 now is Grand Prix Legends, a game released in 1998, based on the 1967 season. The original release was crude as far as graphics and limited to just a few tracks, but the physics were exceptionally realistic. It grew a huge community of enthusiasts that improved the graphics, recreated all the tracks of the era, fantasy tracks, and real tracks that they never got to race on. The online racing was intense and fun. People developed all kind of add ons and tools to help you develop your skills.
When I get tired of racing, I can always throw Grand Prix in the DVD.

[AngryAmish]

5. The cars of the 60s were gorgeous, but death traps.

Ever see The Killer Years?

[tech3149]

8. Yea, they were death if you pushed it to the limit and beyond

Killer Years sounds familiar, not sure if I ever watched it. Not sure I'd want to remember if I did. Just did a search and found that I had watched it if it was that BBC show. Such a shame that we don't get any real motorsports in the US unless you want to pony up for some premium cable package(of course there is that occasional "petite LeMans" or some such on broadcast).

[RGinNJ]

4. As long as Hamilton can figure it out I'm happy.

[cherokeeprogressive]

6. NASCAR races more miles by an order of magnitude, 36 times a year.

Dozens of lead changes in every race. Hell, when a F1 race has five lead changes, I get so excited I've been known to piss myself.

Why can't a driver come from the 25th on the grid and win an F1 race? Because F1 doesn't have 25 cars in the series... In NASCAR a driver can come from 43rd place and win, and it DOES happen.

Bump drafting... trading paint at 200 mph... 3 wide racing into the turns... In F1 the drivers are scared shitless of each other, and it shows.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE F1. But then, I love all forms of motorsports. Even monster trucks.

[A HERETIC I AM]

7. T-shirt from back when I was in IndyCar racing in the 90's;

"Real race cars don't have
Roofs
Fenders
Doors
Headlights
Trunks
Gun Racks.....


Or mechanics named "Bubba"





If only NASCAR could make the "S" in that name relevant again.

[cherokeeprogressive]

9. Yeah well you're a poopyhead...

And I sincerely hope you're home and feeling better.

Poopyhead.

[A HERETIC I AM]

11. LOL!

Felling better.


Not home yet.


And yes, I am indeed!

[tech3149]

10. Not dissing on you but oval and road racing are hard to compare

I've done my share of IRL and most of it was oval. It's a lot of fun and if the series is well designed, just like stock road course SCCA, the racing will always be close.
The skills required in most forms of motorsport are comparable but not necessarily equal from one to the other. On a road course you can exceed the limit for a corner or two and gain a bit and not pay a penalty.
On an oval you might have to do the same for four laps to get in position to make a pass but by then you've sucked all you have in your tires until the next pit stop.
My ultimate racing format is stage rally. You've got a track description, a co-driver tossing out directions, a road of unsure and varying surface condition and you're not doing lap after lap to get it right. Screw up and you're over the hill or in the trees.