Formula 1 Steering Wheels

Abstract

Formula 1 racing is considered the epitome of both motorsport and automotive engineering. Throughout a significant part of its glamorous history, a basic component of the vehicle saw little development: the steering wheel. Since the introduction and proliferation of electronics and control systems, the steering wheel has transformed from an instrument of lateral control to a control panel for various monitoring and controlling parameters that play a decisive role in modern motor racing. In this article, I discuss the main stages in the steering wheel’s evolution and the accompanying ergonomics challenges, from the wide designs in the pre–World War II era of Grand Prix racing to the compact designs in the 1970s, the introduction of paddles and switches in the early 1990s, and, finally, the contemporary compact control panel designs with an estimated cost of $45,000 each.