However, that was only to be the beginning. Over the years, more and more buttons and switches were added, to activate the launch control or the speed limiter for the pitlane, for instance. Beyond that, the driver can now optimise the set-up during the race; for example, by adjusting the brake force distribution between the front and rear wheels or by modifying the traction control, differential and fuel-air mixture in the engine.

The sheer number of buttons demands a degree of dexterity of the driver to ensure the optimal performance of the car. So that he will not get confused during the rush, a large display informs him about the current settings. It also shows the driver essential parameters, such as lap times, engine speed and the speed of the vehicle. All this comfort comes at a price: in the teams’ calcu-lations, a steering wheel accounts for 25,000 euros. And their ‘hand tool’ is also dear to the drivers. Many of them would prefer to take it back to the pit with them if they are forced to abandon their car beside the track. But regulations

state that it has to be reattached to the steering column to keep the racing car manoeuvrable. The regulations also state that the driver must be able to both detach the steering wheel and leave the cockpit in the space of five seconds.

One thing is certain, though: the steering wheel of a modern Formula 1 car is multi-talented. On average, it fulfils another 12 functions besides steering. Roughly 20 different buttons and switches are commonplace. “I would not go so far as to say that all those buttons are too much for drivers to cope with,” Formula 1 expert Christian Danner says. “But as practical experience continues to show, the potential for error is still relatively high.”

A wrong button pressed in the heat of the moment can occasionally lead to misunderstandings; for example, during radio communication with the pits. Sometimes a driver will even incur a drive-through penalty because, when entering the pitlane, he presses a different button instead of the speed limiter, thus coming in at too great a speed. Nevertheless, experts unanimously agree on the fact that the buttons and switches are much better located within reach on the steering wheel than if they were spread somewhere else in the cockpit.

The steering wheel is not only a hi-tech product because of its multi-functionality. Just as for the car itself, special lightweight materials, such as carbon, aluminium and titanium, as well as steel, rubber and plastic, are used for the production of a steering wheel. All told, it comprises approximately 120 individual parts, while still weighing only 1.3 kilograms. It takes about 100 man-hours to manufacture. Each Formula 1 season, five steering wheels are usually produced per driver. In principle, the steering wheels for the two drivers of any given team are the same, although the respective functions are not always located in identical positions: one driver may prefer to have the radio button under his right thumb, another next to his left index finger.

The number of functions and adjustments has also greatly increased in standard passenger vehicles over the years. “The trend in standard production – analogous to Formula 1 – to shift functionalities to the steering wheel means increased comfort and more safety because the driver will not be distracted from the traffic as much, and is also able to keep his hands on the wheel at all times – at least, if he is familiar with the vehicle,” Dr Hartmuth Wolff of the Allianz Center for Technology tells us. “There are significant differences between the models of the various manufacturers concerning the type and location of the controls.”

In Formula 1, the number of buttons and switches might well be reduced in the near future. Max Mosley, president of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), hopes to succeed in implementing his plans to reform Formula 1, mainly intending to reduce the constant, expensive development of new electronic aids. Less electronics, for example, through unified software for all the teams or the prohibition of traction control, would automatically result in a reduction of steering-wheel buttons.

To Christian Danner the equation works out. “That would automatically increase focus on the drivers’ performances,” he predicts, “although of course safety must not be compromised by the changes.”