Lewis Hamilton has made notable changes to his Ferrari Method 1 steering wheel format – incorporating button shifts and clutch and gearbox paddle adjustments that retain familiarity from his lengthy stint at Mercedes.
The adjustments are all a part of Hamilton’s adjustment to life on the Scuderia forward of the 2025 F1 marketing campaign, with the Italian staff working onerous to get him snug with its programs.
This would be the first time in Hamilton’s 19-season F1 profession that he has not raced utilizing a Mercedes-powered automotive – and because the turbo hybrid period started in 2014, engine energy supply is much more tightly twinned with steering wheel programs than ever earlier than in grand prix racing.
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When he joined Mercedes again in 2013, Hamilton claimed the steering wheel design he discovered on arrival from McLaren was “means too advanced” and obtained the Silver Arrows to rearrange its design, earlier than he launched one which was even additional completely different in 2014 firstly of his run to 6 of his seven titles.
Now, the identical course of with Ferrari has led to a change in design in comparison with that utilized by Charles Leclerc – albeit most importantly in the back of the wheel, whereas the front-facing format stays much like his new team-mate’s.
Ferrari steering wheel comparability 2025
Picture by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
Ferrari has all the time tried to accommodate a driver’s request in terms of adjusting to its automotive programs and operations procedures, each by way of steering wheel form and software program composition.
This course of was significantly evident throughout Sebastian Vettel’s time on the Scuderia between 2015 and 2020, as he requested such adjustments on a number of events.
The steering wheel Hamilton and Leclerc will use this 12 months at Ferrari originates from the design created primarily based on Vettel’s inputs.
Nonetheless, modifications have been made to the front-facing button format and the 2 paddles used for gear shifting and clutch management to make sure Hamilton finds the absolute best feeling with out dropping sure habits from his ultra-successful previous at Mercedes.
When observing Hamilton’s steering wheel from the rear (see the above illustration), noticeable variations could be seen in comparison with Leclerc’s model.
These variations largely stem from design selections developed at Mercedes, and it’s common for a driver to herald sure traits from the steering wheels they used for earlier groups – as this helps with muscle reminiscence operations when competing at pace.
For instance, on the altered Ferrari design for Hamilton, the gear paddle has been utterly revised and has a considerably completely different form.
Mercedes W14 steering wheel element
Picture by: Giorgio Piola
It has thinner levers positioned increased, resembling a design Hamilton permitted at Mercedes, with the periphery coated with a distinct materials to enhance grip.
Leclerc, in the meantime, will proceed utilizing the identical format he has been accustomed to since his Ferrari debut in 2019. His paddles are bigger and positioned decrease – nearly completely behind the steering wheel spokes.
Since 2019, Hamilton has been used to managing the Mercedes clutch with a single paddle, and he has applied the identical configuration on his new Ferrari steering wheel.
Nonetheless, there are variations in comparison with Leclerc’s paddle, not solely within the casing the place the fingers relaxation, but in addition within the paddle itself.
Hamilton’s clutch paddle intently resembles the one he had at Mercedes. His finger casing can be completely different from Leclerc’s, because it has been custom-made utilizing 3D printing to suit Hamilton’s completely different wants.
The adjustments to the clutch paddle and kit paddle are essentially the most vital {hardware} modifications, because the entrance of the steering wheel stays bodily unchanged in comparison with the one Leclerc makes use of.
Comparability of Ferrari 2025 steering wheels – entrance
Picture by: Gianluca D’Alessandro
However what has modified right here is the format of the buttons and rotary dials, and it appears Hamilton has acted once more to copy sure muscle reminiscences acquired with the Mercedes steering wheel.
That is possible as a result of Ferrari’s engine operation follows a philosophy fairly completely different from that of Mercedes, particularly concerning the decrease selectors on the steering wheel.
Ferrari’s wheel options six of those, whereas Mercedes mixed them into three rotary dials with a number of sub-menus for a driver to scroll by shortly.
Specializing in the higher part (above), Hamilton has relocated the ‘cost’ button for battery recharging to the highest left, alongside the button for navigating sub-menus (10–) and the impartial gear button.
Beneath the cost button is the DRS button, which Hamilton additionally had within the entrance part of his Mercedes steering wheel.
On the correct aspect sits the ‘Pit Verify’ button (pressed by a driver to verify a pitstop usually earlier than coming into the pitlane), one other navigation button (1+), the pace limiter for the pitlane and the radio activation button.
Hamilton has additionally opted to place the K1 button (which prompts the engine’s electrical enhance) on the entrance.
One other attention-grabbing side is the format of the differential settings, engine braking, and brake steadiness controls, which replicate what Hamilton was used to in F1 till this 12 months.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Picture by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs
The rotary dial for entry differential settings is on the prime left, whereas the high-speed differential (HS – Excessive Pace) is on the prime proper.
On the left aspect, subsequent to the show, is the ‘brake migration’ management for adjusting braking, whereas on the correct aspect sits the brake steadiness management.
This results in an intriguing commentary: Hamilton has seemingly relocated {the electrical} system administration (SOC) to the decrease a part of the steering wheel – one thing no Ferrari driver has executed since 2015.
The steering wheel’s display screen software program has additionally apparently been up to date to function a distinct format for information show concerning engine and tyre situation (amongst different features) in comparison with how Leclerc prefers to see such info when on observe.
Discussing his new Ferrari steering wheel forward of F1 winter testing in Bahrain final week, Hamilton acknowledged “it is uncommon that you simply soar in and it simply suits” as at his new staff “for instance, the steering was utterly completely different”.
“All of the swap settings are utterly completely different,” he added. “The software program is completely different and all the pieces. I’m adapting to a automotive that is made fairly in a different way to what I’ve labored with previously.”
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Hamilton’s steering wheel adjustments have been additionally noticed by Haas rookie Oliver Bearman, because the American staff makes use of the identical Ferrari-built programs below its technical partnership association with the Scuderia.
However Bearman mentioned he had taken a private curiosity in seeing Hamilton’s new design early.
“I used to be ,” he defined in Bahrain. “I knew he would change a couple of issues on the steering wheel. It occurs yearly. And I used to be watching what adjustments he is made extra out of curiosity. I am a little bit of a nerd on that aspect of issues.”
Extra reporting by Oleg Karpov
On this article
Alex Kalinauckas
Method 1
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
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