How do F1 cars look from the inside and how do the F1 pedals work?
F1 cars are seen going at over 200mph every race weekend but we usually only see the outside, rarely do we ever get to see the insides of the car in detail, be it the steering wheel, the seating position or the view of the driver. Hence we take a brief look at the insides of the fastest racing cars in the world.
When it comes to F1 cars, experts always discuss the powertrains or a driver’s driving style and performance, what most miss out upon are the working of the pedals, a small yet intricate part of driving that must be done carefully with the immense horsepower on the tips of your feet.
A Foot Cam on Pierre Gasly’s Alpha Tauri
The first and arguably most important part of an f1 cockpit is the steering wheel. It comes with loads of buttons and switches which are adjusted by the driver for changing a variety of things such as the fuel mix, speed limiter, team radio, drink etc. The wheel also includes the different paddles for the gear shifts as well as the display at its centre which provides the driver with all the necessary information on board.
How does the cockpit of an F1 car look?
The cockpit itself is a tight fit, with the seat custom-made for each driver in such a manner that it surrounds them. So much so that it only provides them with enough space to use their steering wheel and pedals. The driver is seated in a way that they can only view the top of their front tyres and virtually almost none of the front nose.
How do the F1 pedals work?
F1 cars now use semi-automatic transmissions with paddle shifters on the steering wheel which negates the need of a clutch pedal or a gear stick. Thus all modern F1 cars have two pedals only, the accelerator and the brake. The usage of these two pedals is still slightly different from the conventional usage in road cars
This difference is the use of Left Foot Braking. F1 drivers indulge in what is known as left-foot braking. Here the driver uses the right foot for accelerating as the norm, however, for braking, they use the left foot instead of the more traditional form of using the right foot. This allows the drivers to be able to accelerate and brake seamlessly saving a lot of time.
Such minor intricacies might not seem extravagant on the surface, but a collection of these details is what eventually adds up to making these cars the best in the world. It is what makes Formula One the pinnacle of Motorsport.
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