The steering wheel of the Formula 1 car has been the main source of control for the driver. The driver is capable of making several minor adjustments to the engine, the brakes, and even the fuel mixture through a variety of dials on the wheel. At first sight, the wheel can appear to be an extremely complex structure but it is only when you dwell in the details that you figure out the purpose behind the careful positioning of each item.
Till as recently as 1992, the steering wheel was plain, round and with a metal plate attached at the centre to connect it to the steering column. There were, usually, no more than three buttons - One for selecting the neutral gear, one for the radio and one for releasing the fluid through a tube in the helmet to replenish the drivers’ body fluid content.
Complex electronic systems introduced throughout the ’90s, changed everything. McLaren Mercedes engineer, John Barnard, introduced a paddle system behind the wheel that enabled Nigel Mansel to shift through the gears without taking his hand off of the wheel. A pull on the left paddle would lower the gear whereas a pull on the right would increase it. This ensured that drivers wouldn’t miss any gears while shifting up or down. Also, this increased the smoothness of gearshifts as well as improved timings. Along with semi-automatic gear shifts, this was probably one of the most significant changes in equipment that came into being with the new steering wheel. Once left-foot braking was introduced, the clutch pedal was totally removed and an automatic hydraulic clutch system replaced the entire gamut. The system gets activated automatically, each time the driver shifts gears on the wheel. The modern wheel has an extra clutch paddle that is used to ‘de-clutch’ the car when it is standing still, like on pit-stops or on gravel. This allows the car to idle, without shutting down.
Race start procedures changed and the absence of a dashboard meant that the steering wheel was the only place that could hold any controls. Engine mapping, Traction control and eventually, launch control systems were placed on the steering wheel to enable drivers’ to fine-tune their cars with changes on track.
The steering wheel has a dedicated engineer in each team who is assigned the responsibility for the electronics and the design so that the drivers can use it comfortably. Thus, the wheel is no longer round and is made of hard rubber with an anatomical design. This allows extra grip for the driver’s hands. The main part of the wheel still uses the same technology like any road car although the carbon fibre parts used, to make it light, are priced at about 23,000 Euros.
The wheel is constructed of various lightweight material including Carbon Fibre and Rubber with Aluminum, Titanium, Steel and Plastic. With an average steering wheel controlling up to 12 separate parameters on the car, a large number of switches, buttons and other components need to be fitted during the manufacturing process. Approximately 120 items are used to make up the wheel, this is of course besides the materials and parts that make up the structure and shape. All this adds just 1.3 kgs to the car’s weight.
A team normally uses a minimum of 5 steering wheels for each driver. Three are generally used by the race team whereas the other two are generally used for testing. Some teams have the tradition of removing the wheel of the race winning car and placing it in the team’s collection as memorabilia for it’s win. The cockpit of the car is so small that even the thinnest driver needs to remove the steering wheel before he can enter the car. Since that is the only way to get out also, FIA have imposed strict regulations for a quick release mechanism that can be operated by pulling a flange installed behind the steering column, on the wheel. This allows drivers as well as track attendants to remove the wheel quickly to ensure that the driver can eject the vehicle in case of an accident.
With the already high speeds and breakneck turns that the drivers are subjected to, you would think that life would be difficult behind the steering wheel of the car but when you see the structure of the wheel, sitting behind it might not seem to be the easiest thing. Becoming a Formula One driver not only demands the ability to drive at mind-blowing speeds, it also requires the guile to solve the puzzle that is the steering wheel.