Ferrari using clever foot activated DRS
12 September, 2012
Sep.12 (GMM) It has emerged that Ferrari is using a clever foot activated switch to trigger the DRS system on their F2012.”
Auto Motor und Sport said that drivers for most other teams trigger the rear wing flap with a button on the steering wheel.
But renowned F1 technical illustrator Giorgio Piola has learned that, when Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa are between corners (and therefore not braking) their left feet can trigger DRS with a switch to the left of the brake pedal.
When they want to stop the car, their left foot is therefore automatically taken off the DRS pedal – therefore returning the wing to its normal position – when they apply the brake.
Subbed by AJN.
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yea the mercedes system is a better idea. i think ferrari will drop that system soon.
Cool stuff by Ferrari. Well done.
@Andy Harrison
But not with the Mercedes version, which is incorporated within the accelerator pedal, and works on pressure applied.
i would assume there would be more time lost in the gap between taking you foot off the DRS pedal and onto the brake pedal than there would be just braking or taking your finger off a button and braking at the same time. I know it would be a very small amount of time but as we often see this season the differance between 1st and 5th can be a couple of 10ths of a second, every bit of time is needed when trying to win a championship.
Mercedes use one too
Interesting, but nothing new. The operation of a wing control with the left foot was probably first used on the Chaparral 2F in CANAM racing for a short time in 1967 – until the movable wing gadgets caused enough accidents from mechanical failures to cause it to be banned. They held the pedal down to take the wing to neutral position for straights, then when the driver moved to brake, the wing snapped back to its normal attack position. Unlike the silly DRS press-to-pass in set zones of today, the wing gadget in 1967 was activated any time the drive thought he could get away with it.
Come on Ferrari!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great work Ferrari!! Well done!!