How Hamilton has changed his Ferrari F1 steering wheel to be like Mercedes’

Lewis Hamilton has made notable changes to his Ferrari System 1 steering wheel structure – 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 workforce working laborious to get him snug with its techniques.

This would be the first time in Hamilton’s 19-season F1 profession that he has not raced utilizing a Mercedes-powered automotive and for the reason that turbo hybrid period started in 2014, engine energy supply is much more tightly twinned with steering wheel techniques than ever earlier than in grand prix racing.

When he joined Mercedes again in 2013, Hamilton claimed the steering wheel design he discovered on arrival from McLaren was “method too complicated” and obtained the Silver Arrows to rearrange its design – earlier than he launched one which was even additional completely different in 2014 in the beginning 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 structure stays just like that of his new team-mate.

Ferrari has all the time tried to accommodate a driver’s request on the subject of adjusting to its automotive techniques and operations procedures, each when it comes to steering wheel form and software program composition.

Ferrari steering wheel comparability 2025

Photograph by: Gianluca D’Alessandro

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 yr at Ferrari originates from the design created based mostly on Vettel’s inputs.

Nevertheless, modifications have been made to the front-facing button structure and the 2 paddles used for gear shifting and clutch management to make sure Hamilton finds the very best feeling with out shedding sure habits from his ultra-successful previous at Mercedes.

When observing Hamilton’s steering wheel from the rear (see the above illustration), noticeable variations will be seen in comparison with Leclerc’s model.

These variations largely stem from design decisions developed at Mercedes and it’s common for a driver to usher in sure traits from the steering wheels they used for earlier groups – as this helps with muscle reminiscence operations when competing at velocity.

For instance, on the altered Ferrari design for Hamilton, the gear paddle has been fully revised and has a considerably completely different form.

Mercedes W14 steering wheel element

Photograph by: Giorgio Piola

It has thinner levers positioned larger, resembling a design Hamilton authorised at Mercedes, with the periphery coated with a distinct materials to enhance grip.

Leclerc, in the meantime, will proceed utilizing the identical structure he has been accustomed to since his Ferrari debut in 2019. His paddles are bigger and positioned decrease – virtually solely 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.

Nevertheless, 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 that of Leclerc, because it has been custom-made utilizing 3D printing to suit Hamilton’s completely different wants.

The adjustments to the clutch paddle and equipment paddle are probably the most important {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

Photograph by: Gianluca D’Alessandro

However what has modified right here is the structure of the buttons and rotary dials, and it appears Hamilton has acted once more to duplicate sure muscle recollections acquired with the Mercedes steering wheel.

That is doubtless 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 via 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 best facet sits the ‘Pit Affirm’ button (pressed by a driver to substantiate a pitstop typically earlier than getting into the pitlane), one other navigation button (1+), the velocity 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 facet is the structure of the differential settings, engine braking, and brake stability controls, which replicate what Hamilton was used to in F1 till this yr.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

Photograph by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Photographs

The rotary dial for entry differential settings is on the high left, whereas the high-speed differential (HS – Excessive Pace) is on the high proper.

On the left facet, subsequent to the show, is the ‘brake migration’ management for adjusting braking, whereas on the best facet sits the brake stability 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 achieved since 2015.

The steering wheel’s display screen software program has additionally apparently been up to date to function a distinct structure for knowledge show concerning engine and tyre situation (amongst different features) in comparison with how Leclerc prefers to see such data 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 workforce “for instance, the steering was fully completely different”.

“All of the change settings are fully completely different,” he added. “The software program is completely different and the whole lot. I’m adapting to a automotive that is made fairly otherwise to what I’ve labored with prior to now.”

Hamilton’s steering wheel adjustments had been additionally noticed by Haas rookie Oliver Bearman, because the American workforce makes use of the identical Ferrari-built techniques beneath 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 number 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 facet of issues.”

Further reporting by Oleg Karpov

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