The difference between racing car steering wheel and regular car steering wheel

Difference in shape and size

The first difference is the shape. The steering wheel of an F1 racing car will be rectangular and rounded at the corners, while the steering wheel of a regular car will be round and larger in size.

The F1 steering wheel has a special size and shape due to the design of the cockpit. To ensure aerodynamics, the design of the car must limit air resistance. The driving position of the drivers is almost lying down, due to the very small size of the cockpit, the cockpit is about 82 cm long and 52 cm wide.

With such a small size, it is impossible to fit a regular car steering wheel into an F1 cockpit. Therefore, engineers had to create a steering wheel that is small enough to fit in the cockpit, but still ensures flexibility and comfort when used.

F1 racing car steering wheels are much smaller than regular car steering wheels.

F1 racing steering wheels are also designed and manufactured according to each racer who will use it. All factors such as: steering wheel size, handle size, finger grip surface area, control button position... will be measured and manufactured according to the driver's hands to bring the most comfortable grip feeling.

With a narrow design, the cockpit of a racing car will not have enough space to install many devices in the cockpit. The steering wheel is the most suitable place to install the adjustment buttons, this is also the position that allows the racers to easily operate these buttons.

On the other hand, popular cars have an optimal interior space for convenience and comfort for the user, so the steering wheel can be designed larger. The large steering wheel is not only a matter of size, but it also makes it easier for the driver to operate the car.

Common functions on F1 racing car steering wheels

Not only used for navigation like ordinary cars, racing car steering wheels are also integrated with many functions, with the ability to control complex systems to help racers optimize the performance of the car.

Today's common car steering wheels are often equipped with up and down paddles, but for racing cars this technology has been around for a long time. In addition, behind the steering wheel are also equipped with 2 clutch control paddles, helping the racer easily master the gear shifting process.

The steering wheel has two integrated buttons on both sides that allow the driver to interact with more than 100 sensors on the car, and the data will be displayed on the OLED screen. Thanks to that, the racer can quickly perform tactical operations according to his own wishes as well as the direction of the racing team.

F1 racing car steering wheels are packed with complex features.

Shifting to N (neutral) by mistake will slow down the driver. To prevent the car from accidentally shifting to neutral, the designers have integrated a button behind the steering wheel, preventing the driver from arbitrarily shifting to N. Instead, if they want to shift to neutral, they will have to press this button when the car is in 1st or 2nd gear.

According to FIA regulations, all cars entering the pit lane for inspection, tire change or any other work must comply with the maximum speed of 80 km/h to ensure safety. On the steering wheel, there will be an integrated button that allows the racers to automatically adjust the speed of the car to around 80 km/h without having to hold the throttle, which is difficult to do on a car that can accelerate to over a hundred km/h with just a light press of the throttle.

Instead of a hands-free button, the F1 car's steering wheel will have a Pit confirm button. Pressing this button will send a radio signal to the pit stop to let the mechanic and engineer know the car is about to enter the pit lane, instead of turning on the radio and wasting time talking.

Source: https://xe.baogiaothong.vn/diem-khac-biet-giua-vo-lang-xe-dua-va-xe-pho-thong-192240111225731959.htm