Formula 1 is the pinnacle of motorsport, and every detail in the single-seaters counts to win the thousandths that can give victory. However, there are only two components that drivers can power when they’re in a car; the steering wheel and the pedals.
It is always said that “a driver has hands” when he demonstrates his skill with a car, but something that is not seen on the onboard cameras and that is just as or more important are the pedals.
The feet of a Formula 1 driver are the great undervalued factor, since thanks to them they maintain control of the car on the track without spinning by giving too much gas or blocking the tire by pressing too hard on the brake.
For this reason, AlphaTauri has published a spectacular video on its YouTube channel in which you can see how a Formula 1 driver works with the pedals throughout a lap. Pierre Gasly was in charge of recording it at the wheel of the AT03 on a filming day at the Misano circuit.
The regulations allow a maximum of 100 km to be filmed on each day of filming for promotional events, and the Italian team took advantage of one of these laps to capture the movement of the Frenchman’s feet.
On a wet morning on the track in the province of Rimini, the Frenchman exited the pitlane very cautiously, as his tires and brakes were cold, and it is well known that high temperature windows are needed to make the car work. single-seater.
This is why the video is even more interesting, since Gasly must progressively activate the two pedals. The accelerator, located on the right side, has a linear movement on the straights until it reaches the bottom of its travel, while the brake is activated with maximum power at the first point of braking, and the pedal is released as that the apex of the curve is approached so as not to block the rubber bands.
After a lap in the rain with two cameras included in the Faenza car, one in the nose to see the track and another inside the cockpit to view and capture the movement of the feet with the pedals, the French driver’s engineer requested his return to boxes to conclude said recording and make us enjoy something that can hardly ever be appreciated.
