F1 steering wheels serve an obvious and important function. But F1 drivers use them to do much more than just point the car in the right direction.

This year designers have had to squeeze in buttons for Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems and Drag Reduction Systems along with the usual array of toggles, switches and levers.

Now F1 is being broadcast in high definition it’s easier for us to see what the driver’s up to at the wheel.

This video from Mercedes gives an introduction to some of the settings their drivers have to tweak while they’re on the move:

Here’s a closer look at Sauber’s steering wheel and what their drivers have to control while lapping at over 200mph:

Button Function N Puts gearbox into neutral B Activates Kinetic Energy Recovery System Oil Activates supplementary oil tank for engine KRec (dial) KERS recovery setting Ack / Yes Acknowledge to confirm set-up changes. Also used when the driver’s radio is not working properly to indicate a ‘Yes’ response Probl/No Sets a marker in the telemetry to indicate a problem was encountered. Also used when the driver’s radio is not working properly to indicate a ‘No’ response Entry / Prel / Visco (dials) Change differential settings for corner entry, pre-load and corner exit MFRS (dial) Multifunctional Rotary Switch (centre dial) which controls various settings. Used in conjunction with + and – buttons to change options PL Turn pit lane speed limiter on/off BP Find clutch bite point W Activates Drag Reduction System R Radio Pedal (dial) Change throttle pedal map Box Used when the driver’s radio is not working properly to indicate the driver is coming into the pits D Drink bottle Krel (dial) KERS release setting RPM RPM limiter Tyre Adjust electronics to suit different tyres Left gear paddle Shift down a gear Right gear paddle Shift up a gear Lower levers Clutch

In addition to the various controls, drivers also receive information via the lights on the steering wheel.

On the Sauber steering wheel the displays are:

RPM indicator (upper LEDs)

FIA flag signals (left and right LEDs)

Gear selection (centre LED)

Speed and sector times / MFRS options (left and right screens)

On some cars, such as the Red Bull, this display cluster is mounted behind the steering wheel.

F1 technology



Image ?�?� Sauber F1 Team