In 2023, the Mercedes team decided to tell fans about the structure of the Formula 1 car, its individual systems and components, in the new section “How it works”.
In the first issue, Anthony Davidson, a former racing driver who continues to work at Mercedes as a simulator pilot, explains how the pedal assembly works with design engineer George Gover.
Anthony Davidson: For a racer driving a Formula 1 car, everything is quite simple: you press the right pedal – the car moves, you press the left pedal – it slows down.
George Governor: Yes, but from the designer’s point of view, everything is a little more complicated. In many cases, the pedal assembly is made to suit individual rider preference. Pedals can be placed farther or closer and there are many different variations.
Anthony Davidson: It is interesting to consider the pedal assembly when removed from the car. You rarely see this. And it is immediately noticeable that it is much more complicated than it seems at first glance.
George Governor: Yes, you can see that the whole structure is carefully thought out, every detail has its own purpose. The pedals in particular can have different shapes of “flags” – it depends on rider preference.
Anthony Davidson: You call the curved edges of the pedals “flags”?
George Governor: Yes, they are located on the edges of the pedals and are made taking into account the size of the foot and other nuances. We put a special tape on the pad that is pressed to increase grip.
Anthony Davidson: Here is some kind of shock absorber, then we see a spring – what is it?
George Governor: This is a sensor.
Anthony Davidson: So when we hear about an electronically controlled accelerator pedal, arranged according to the fly-by-wire principle, we are talking about this?
George Governor: Yes, we are talking about this sensor.
Anthony Davidson: You mentioned that different drivers prefer to adjust the pedals differently in their car. Now you’re working with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell: is there any difference in their approach?
George Governor: Yes, there are quite a few differences. Some riders prefer the pedals to be nearly flat, while others want them to be slightly apart.
Anthony Davidson: I noticed you use two different types of materials, the left pedal is carbon fiber and the right pedal seems to be aluminum…
George Governor: Yes, aluminum accelerator pedal.
Anthony Davidson: What explains this?
George Governor: The fact is that the brake pedal must withstand very strong pressure, its maximum value is about 100 kg, so such pedals must be very durable. And carbon fiber is ideal for this – this material is very durable and lightweight.
Anthony Davidson: In general, all pedals are made to order and have an almost infinite number of customization options. It is clear that a lot of time has to be spent developing such a node and integrating it into the machine.
George Governor: Yes, absolutely right.
Source: F1 News
I am Christopher Clyde, an experienced journalist and content writer with a passion for sports. I have been writing about Formula 1 news for the past five years and am currently employed as an author at athletistic.com, one of the top sports websites in the US.
