Formula One racing question

WorldNumberOne · Mar 6, 2005

I'm watching a few laps of the formula one race on speed channel.

As the drivers are leaving the pits , i was watching this one guy who had an in car camera.

He had both hands on the wheel and the car went thru the gears seemingly by itself.

Where is the gear shifter ? On the steering wheel ? Is is automatic as he speeds up ?

Any car experts here ?

655321 · Mar 6, 2005

The clutch and gears are both on the steering wheel.

peskypup · Mar 6, 2005

auto

its all fully automatic, has been for best part of 10 years now. In fact it is one of the aspects the FIA are considering rolling back the clock on.

On tight circuits, it used to be that your best chance of overtaking came when the guy in front messed up a gear change. Not any more. Only way he misses is if the on board computer crashes.

casinghand · Mar 6, 2005

I started watching F1 in 1997. Back then the gear shifting was mechanically controlled by the driver with paddles that electronically shifted the gears. There were different configurations amongst cars, but a common one was to have two paddles one on each side of the steering column. One side was to shift up and one side to shift down. So, even in 97 the transmission was automatic but commanded by the driver. Now it is totally automatic.

Many of these changes were made in an effort to level the playing field. I never agreed with it and still wish they would change it back.

WorldNumberOne · Mar 6, 2005

casinghand said:
I started watching F1 in 1997. Back then the gear shifting was mechanically controlled by the driver with paddles that electronically shifted the gears. There were different configurations amongst cars, but a common one was to have two paddles one on each side of the steering column. One side was to shift up and one side to shift down. So, even in 97 the transmission was automatic but commanded by the driver. Now it is totally automatic.

Many of these changes were made in an effort to level the playing field. I never agreed with it and still wish they would change it back.

thats what it looked like they were doing today.

shifting down on one side and shifting up on the other. and they looked like paddles.

RobFunk · Mar 6, 2005

they need to bring back re-active suspension and traction control. I really dont care if lesser teams cant afford these things, they cant compete regardless.

reactive suspension is the most excting thing I have ever seen in all of motor racing. computer controlled shocks reading the track and its bumps and the g-forces and keeping the car perfectly level all lap, every single lap. the cars equipped with this would lap the field every single race, turning the wheel only 25% as much in corners as everyone else.

this was back in 93, now that its 2005 it has to be more affordable to other teams.

a lot of this stuff really is being tested for the every day use of consumer cars. becuase of this rediculous ban, i cant buy a vehicle equiped with 'reactive suspension'