Looking more like gaming controllers, F1 steering wheels do far more than turn the tyres. So just what are all the buttons for?
Tuesday 12 April 2016 06:11, UK
If you've ever struggled to turn up the radio without turning off the cruise control, take a moment to pity the F1 drivers whose wheels make even the most complicated road cars look simplistic.
Looking more like a games console controller than a traditional steering wheel, it now controls so much more than just the direction in which the tyres point.
The introduction of the V6 hybrid engines for 2014 saw even more switches added to the wheels, with more and more in-race adjustments needing to be made by the driver.
But just what do all the switches do? Thanks to Honda, here is a little explainer of what Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso have to work with on the McLaren MP4-31:
But aside from fitting the buttons onto the wheel, there are other decisions teams need to take when it comes to the design. While McLaren, like many, have an LCD screen embedded in the wheel, Williams have built their screen into the car.
This is said to save them weight, but perhaps more importantly means the screen is always facing the driver at the correct angle.
Force India have taken weight saving and cost saving further, by 3D printing their steering wheels this season, although the screen is still part of the wheel.
Don't miss the F1 Report: Chinese GP preview on Wednesday at 8.30pm on Sky Sports F1. Five-time GP winner John Watson and F1 historian Roger Smith join Natalie Pinkham to look ahead to round three of the season.
