Steering wheels: how drivers learn their buttons

Each one is different, but they're all high-tech pieces of equipment made of military-spec materials, designed to work in extreme conditions. F1 steering wheels do so much more than turn the car. 

Christian Hewgill and Katie Osborne explore steering wheels with the help of two expert guests:

• Jose Manuel Lopez, Mclaren Principal Race Engineer
• Jolyon Palmer, former F1 driver with Renault and GP2 champion

Jose and Jolyon tell us how wheels are designed, what all the buttons do, how drivers learn their wheels, how they make sure their unique wheel works best for them, and what happens if a driver hits the wrong button. 

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Level-up your F1 knowledge with our previous episodes:

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• Tyres - an engineer, a driver and a designer explains why they matter
• The 2024 F1 calendar - why it helps make F1 more sustainable
• Wind Tunnels - the top secret tools where cars are created
• Race engineers - the voices on F1 Team Radio
• Pit stops - two seconds of total teamwork
• Simulators with Aston Martin's Stoffel Vandoorne
• Racing in the rain with Mika Hakkinen + Haas race engineer Mark Slade
• Street circuits with Mika Hakkinen + Bernie Collins
• F1 driver fitness with Alexander Rossi + Sebastian Vettel's former trainer
• F1 in the USA - why the US has 3 races in 2023
• F1 Sprint weekends with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen

For in-depth interviews with F1's biggest names, listen to F1 Beyond The Grid. For race previews and reviews, head over to F1 Nation.