logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2023
48m 44s

Steering wheels: how drivers learn their...

FORMULA 1
About this episode
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. 

If you have an F1 question you'd like answered, write or record it and email it to Why@F1.com

Level-up your F1 knowledge with our previous episodes:

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.
Up next
Jul 3
75 Years of F1: How the sport arrived and thrived - with Damon Hill + Alex Jacques at the British GP
1996 Formula 1 World Champion, Damon Hill, and F1TV’s lead commentator, Alex Jacques, join Christian Hewgill at the British Grand Prix for an F1 history lesson - 75 years since the World Championship began at Silverstone in 1950. How did the pinnacle of motorsport begin? What did ... Show More
52m 14s
Jul 1
This Friday: F1 Explains LIVE at the British Grand Prix
F1 Explains will be live on-stage at the British Grand Prix with two special guests: Haas Team Principal Ayao Komatsu, and F1 legend David Coulthard will join Christian Hewgill to answer your questions. See you there! F1 EXPLAINS LIVE AT SILVERSTONE Friday 4th July Main Stage 111 ... Show More
1m 10s
Jun 26
F1 commentary, team radio + qualifying questions - with Alex Jacques + Jolyon Palmer
How do F1 commentators call races? What do F1 team radio messages mean? How do drivers make sure their laps in qualifying are as fast as possible? In this 'mega' episode, F1TV commentary duo Alex Jacques and Jolyon Palmer explain how they do their jobs - the camera shots and data ... Show More
29 m
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2022
REVISITED: Martin Brundle on the best F1 cars of each decade
Season 5 of F1: Beyond The Grid starts with a brand-new episode on Wednesday 16th March. With just days to go before we see the new 2022 cars go wheel to wheel, we revisit an episode from 2020 when Martin Brundle joined Tom to discuss the best F1 cars he’s ever driven. The Briton ... Show More
1h 6m
May 2023
‘F1 is a mental game’ – this week on BTG
Who’s Tom’s F1 Beyond The Grid guest this week? Hit play to find out, then share using #F1BeyondTheGrid. Listen to the latest F1 Nation for reaction and analysis after the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix from former F1 stars Pedro de la Rosa and Alex Wurz. Plus, to hear why street circuit ... Show More
1m 48s
Jun 2021
NASCAR icon Jeff Gordon on his famous F1 test and love of Grand Prix racing
Our guest this week is a driver who never actually raced in F1 – but he did test an F1 car and very nearly raced one: Jeff Gordon. The Californian is a four-time NASCAR champion and global motorsport icon, who in 2003 enjoyed a life-changing F1 test with Williams. He tells us all ... Show More
1h 5m
Jun 2023
Stefano Domenicali: driving F1 forward
What does the future hold for Formula 1? New races? New teams? New rules? F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali answers all these questions and many more in an intriguing chat with Tom Clarkson.  Domenicali knows what success tastes like. He won multiple World Championships as ... Show More
55m 29s
May 2022
Alexander Rossi: twists, turns and tragedy on the road to F1
Growing up in Northern California, a young Alexander Rossi dreamed of racing in Formula 1. His route was not an easy one. Along the way he experienced false starts, unfulfilled promises, behind the scenes power moves and the tragic loss of his friend and teammate Jules Bianchi. A ... Show More
53m 36s
Jul 2022
Mike Krack: Vettel + Massa’s mentor, aiming high at Aston Martin
He’s the newest member of ‘The Piranha Club’ – the nickname for the ruthlessly competitive group of F1 Team Principals. Aston Martin’s Mike Krack is not a newcomer to F1, however. A former European go-kart racer, Mike earned his engineering stripes with Sauber in the early 2000s, ... Show More
50m 26s
Jul 2023
Mario Illien: powering F1 champions
Engineer or artist? Mario Illien is both.  The Swiss engine designer powered McLaren to glory in the 1990s, and helped make F1’s current hybrid engines the most efficient in the world. Working in isolation for up to 18 hours a day, Mario has spent decades using exotic materials t ... Show More
54m 43s
May 2022
Max’s Miami masterclass, Ferrari’s fightback + the next US F1 star?
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is on a roll. He took his second straight win on F1’s first visit to Miami, but Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz kept Ferrari at the top of both championships. Which team’s got the upper hand heading to Barcelona? Tom Clarkson and Sam Power are joined by ... Show More
42m 27s
Mar 2023
Shocks at the start - Bahrain GP Review ft Newey, Stroll, Schumacher + Sargeant
Fernando Alonso’s podium, Charles Leclerc’s retirement, Red Bull’s pace advantage; the 2023 F1 season started with some shocks. We hear from Max Verstappen and Alonso, then Red Bull’s victorious Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey tells Tom Clarkson and Natalie Pinkham there wer ... Show More
49m 54s