FINE ART MEETS HIGH TECH
These days, the steering wheel of a modern Formula One car
does rather more than just steer the front wheels. We recently asked the
Minardi F1 Team’s Laurent Mekies, Race Engineer for Christijan Albers, to
explain the workings of what can only be described as a “multi-function
device” – which also happens to be a steering wheel.
Some 15 years ago, F1 engineers moved all the instruments and switches
from the dashboard to the front face of the steering wheel in order to free
up more cockpit space for the driver and to make the positioning of the
controls for the increasing number of on-board electronic systems more
user-friendly. Today, the wheel houses a plethora of miniature electronic
components. “Our wheels are designed and assembled in-house,” explains
Mekies. “Two carbon fibre shells are bonded together and contain the ECU
(Electronic Control Unit) and display screen. We make the shells, while
external suppliers provide the electronic components. When we secure the
wheel on the steering column, a pin connects the ECU of the wheel to that of
the car.”
A series of lights located on top of the wheel shows the driver when to
change gears and a small screen displays crucial data. “By pushing on the
‘scroll’ button, the driver can choose to see such varied information as his
lap times, the engine revs, the oil and water temperatures or the gear
selected. The ‘+’ and ‘-’ buttons are used to change the settings of a
selected function, there’s a button for the radio, one for finding neutral,
a ‘pass’ button that allows additional engine revs to be used when the need
arises to pass another car, a button to activate the pit-lane speed limiter,
and a ‘marker’ button the driver can use to denote a specific event while he
is out on the track. The lower four rotary knobs allow different electronic
‘maps’ to be chosen for the traction control system, differential and
engine,” says Mekies.
Four paddles are located behind the steering wheel. The two top paddles
are for the gear change function, the right paddle shifting one gear up and
the left paddle shifting one gear down. The gears are selected
electronically through the activation of servo valves. “The paddles are
linked to a rocker that pivots from its middle,” continues Mekies. “When the
driver pulls on one paddle, it clicks on the corresponding connector and
that changes gears.” Two clutch paddles are located just below. “These
activate the hydraulic clutch. Pulling on one paddle moves a potentiometer.
The travel of the paddle is entered on an electronic map, which is, in turn,
responsible for opening the hydraulic clutch accordingly. We can change the
mapping according to the driver’s requirements, the track or the conditions,
and we adjust the position of the bite point of the clutch and the travel of
the paddle.”
Most of the design work on the steering wheel is done before the season
begins. “Drivers are sensitive to the overall diameter of the wheel and the
size of the grip,” Mekies observes. “We work closely with the drivers to
locate the buttons and controls where they are most easily accessible.
Drivers must not look down to find a button. Also, it is quite easy to touch
a button by mistake, especially during a spin. For that reason, we try to
keep the number of buttons to a minimum, and we make them flat so they are
less likely to be hit accidentally.”
The Minardi F1 Team fabricates no less than eight steering wheels every
year, and each of these custom-made pieces of motor racing hardware costs
tens of thousands of dollars to produce!
