Third Pedal Returns To F1

With the advent of manual sequential gearboxes in Formula1 the clutch pedal disappeared. Beginning in 1989 with the  Ferrari 640 a driver was no longer required to row their own boat. The technology has taken much strain off the current generation of drivers, and many former pilots say-without hesitation-that work in the cockpit has become much too easy for the modern day driver.

Just as Ferrari was the first to ditch the third pedal for the driver, they are the first to bring it back. If you follow the sport, then you know the ins and outs of the DRS (Drag Reduction System) device. If you don’t, listen up. On any given race weekend, one or two parts of the track are designated as DRS zones. When a car enters that zone AND is 1 second adrift from the car ahead, then they are allowed to enable their DRS device. When the DRS is enabled, a flap on the rear wing of the car moves into an open position, thus decreasing the total downforce on the car, which in turn, increases the car’s top speed. With a higher top speed than the car ahead, the chase down a long straight makes executing a pass less difficult.

The DRS was commonly activated by the driver by the push of a button on the steering wheel. As real estate on an F1 steering wheel is at a premium, Ferrari have moved the activation point from the steering wheel down to a pedal by the brake.  The packaging is very ingenious as DRS isn’t needed under braking so Fernando Alonso or Felipe Massa don’t have to worry about three pedals when they only have 2 feet. Well, sometimes they have 3…

Now, if Ferrari could just get it to work correctly every weekend…

Make the jump to the official Formula1 website to watch their animation. When you’re done, come back to 6speed!