Over the years and decades, with inevitable technological and engineering advancements, Formula One cars have become increasingly complex, requiring a great deal of time for design, construction, and on-track management. Among the most complex, technologically advanced, and costly components of a car is the steering wheel—a crucial part for the vehicle’s operation, which in a Formula 1 car is clearly different from what we’re used to seeing in road cars.
Steering wheels have evolved significantly over the years, becoming much more function-rich than their basic purpose of steering the vehicle. Looking back at the early days of the F1 World Championship to analyze the evolution of this component, we can recall steering wheels that bore a strong resemblance to those in road cars: round and made of wood and aluminum. This design remained unchanged until the early 1960s, when advancements in materials were made, introducing leather-wrapped rims for better grip by the driver. In the 1970s, the first buttons appeared: an emergency on/off switch, followed by more innovations in the late 1980s, such as Alcantara-covered steering wheels for better grip.
Between the late 1980s and early 1990s, drivers began to personalize this “instrument” according to their driving style, experimenting with diameters and accepting the concept of detachable wheels, both for quick replacement during the race and to facilitate emergency procedures. Simultaneously, there was a significant increase in the number of buttons, introducing new functions like radio communication or the “boost” for overtaking. Not to mention Ferrari’s groundbreaking revolution in 1989, which introduced gear-shifting paddles on the steering wheel. This innovation led to new steering wheel shapes: rectangular instead of round, with a constant increase in buttons and related functions, such as rotary dials, pit lane speed limiters, and ergonomic improvements for easier use.
Starting in 2014, with the beginning of the turbo-hybrid era, a display was added (replacing the simple LED indicators that showed engine RPM to assist with gear changes) so that drivers could see and manage the parameters needed for operating the complex Power Units. Alongside the buttons and rotary dials, this transformation has gradually forced drivers to develop an engineering mindset, turning the “simple” steering wheel into a true computer. Nowadays, each team customizes its steering wheel specifically for its car and driver, dedicating time and effort to ensuring maximum driver comfort, both in terms of grip and button layout. Consequently, its design involves the entire team, from performance engineers to trackside engineers, as this small component affects the overall performance of the car, with different configurations impacting lap time due to varying weights.
In the current state of the art, some of the functions that can be adjusted via the steering wheel or its characteristic elements include:
– DISPLAY: Located in the center of the steering wheel, clearly visible to the driver, it contains all the information necessary for the car’s operation: gear, speed, tire and brake temperature, battery charge, brake balance, hybrid management, engine maps, and more.
– DRS: Opens the rear wing to reduce drag and increase speed on straights.
– NEUTRAL: Puts the car in neutral.
– DRINK: Activates the drinking straw.
– BOX: Tells the team to prepare for a pit stop.
– DIF: Controls the differential—IN for corner entry, OUT for exit.
-1/10: Adjusts a setting by 10 points.
– PIT: Activates the pit lane speed limiter.
– BB: Adjusts brake balance.
– MARKER: Identifies a point of interest in the telemetry data for analysis.
– SOC: Adjusts battery charge.
– EB: Controls engine braking.
– BRN: Sets the burnout map to warm up the tires, useful at the start.
– WET: Sets the car for wet conditions.
– RADIO: For communication with the pit wall.
– START: Sets the car for the start.
– LEDs: Indicate when to shift gears or show the color of flags.
– ROTARY MENU: Adjusts parameters like radio volume or screen brightness.
– ROTORS: Useful for switching between engine maps, differential management, etc.
– PADDLES: Located on the back of the steering wheel. The upper ones are for shifting—right for upshifts and left for downshifts. The lower lever is the clutch, used at the start or when leaving the pit stop.
– SWITCHES: Located in the rear zone, dedicated to specific settings for corners.
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