Though the original Formula One cars had steering wheels that looked pretty similar to those found on any road at the time, they evolved over the years as more technology—and more buttons—were added. Over time they have evolved into the “butterfly” shape that we see in F1 cars today. If you take a look at modern Formula 1 steering wheel, it looks quite different from what you have in your personal car—even if it is a Tesla.
Formula One and the Evolution of Their Steering Wheel
It’s interesting to compare a modern F1 wheel to some of the steering wheels on the original racers, including those with some of the original tech. Of course the oldest had no buttons added—it was the 1950s—they were just a traditional round wheel whose one purpose was steering. It wasn’t until the 80’s that buttons and switches started showing up on the steering wheels. One from McLaren in 1988 had just two buttons, a green one labeled “RADIO” and a more exciting red button with the word “BOOST.”
When we look just a decade later, the F1 steering wheel looks very different. With the introduction of smaller computers and semi-automatic paddle-change shifting, modern racing was changed forever. Around this time is when things shifted from the familiar round steering wheel to a “butterfly” steering wheel. Instead of having a round part on all sides, these wheels have two curved triangular handles jutting out to the side with the points meeting in the middle of the wheel so it looks—as you may have guessed—kind of like a butterfly. Since the cars don’t need to turn much more than around 90 degrees in any direction on the racecourse, this means there is no need for the driver to adjust their grip on the steering wheel as you would while backing up or parallel parking. Taking out the top and bottom quadrants of the wheel will give the driver more room to get in and out of the car—though with removable steering wheels being an F1 standard for a while, this last bit is kind of a moot point.
Enter the Butterfly: The 90’s Evolution to the F1 Steering Wheel
The advances in technology made gear changes easier, but also allowed the driver to make adjustments to the car while driving it, making the job of being a successful F1 driver more complicated than ever. From the late 80’s to the late 90’s the average Formula One steering wheel went from having 2 buttons to well over a dozen various switches and knobs.
Where Are We Today? The Modern F1 Racing Wheel
As you may have guessed, the modern Formula One wheel is more complicated—or technologically advanced—than ever. In addition to the buttons and switches and flappy paddle gearbox shifters that we have seen earlier, there is now inevitably a screen either attached to the wheel or just slightly behind it on the dash—that butterfly shape is coming in handy again. All of the buttons are designed to exact specifications so that they can be used easily while wearing gloves, but won’t be accidentally bumped or rattled into a different position than the one the driver wants.
Racer Valtteri Bottas helpfully explains the intricacies of his 2019 steering wheel on the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team’s channel, and it is incredible to see what functionality the engineers are able to fit into a space not much larger than a dinner plate. Each wheel is customized to the driver and their needs—even having custom molded grips for maximum comfort and maneuverability. Some functions he lists include a button that makes sure the car doesn’t exceed the pit lane speed limit while the car is within its boundaries, one to let the driver talk to their crew, and some dials that can adjust the differentials.
Its incredible to see the limits that modern F1 racers can push—even though their historical counterparts were similarly skilled—using today’s technologies. Modern cars both on the race course and off of it are filled with such incredible tech that the original drivers on the Monaco circuit would never have dreamt of.
