The steering wheel of a Formula 1 car is akin to the cockpit of a jumbo jet, but with a few less switches. It doesn’t just control your direction. The wheel is connected to the car’s electronic systems, allowing a driver to make hundreds of changes while moving. It consists of an LCD screen and a number of buttons and dials.

More basic functions on the steering wheel include paddles for shifting up and down through the gears as well as buttons for radio communications with the pits, an automatic drink bottle and a ‘return to neutral’ button. There is also an indicator that lets the driver know the best time to shift up or down.

Among the more complex functions, a driver can also adjust traction settings, fuel mixtures, front and rear brake bias and boost (thanks to the new Kinetic Energy Recovery System this year, which stores extra power).

The steering wheel also updates a driver on timing, competitor’s status and track updates. The later is important for safety reasons. If there is a problem on the track, the driver can find out where it is thanks to colour-coded lights that flash on the steering wheel.

A steering wheel can be removed from the car in seconds so that the driver can alight quickly in case of an accident. Each steering wheel can cost around $100,000.

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