How direct/specific do steering wheel settings need to be? Eg. Are macros allowed?

[u/mrbitterpants]

Can macros be created to execute a series of settings changes with a single driver input? Eg. A ‘turn 4’ macro that changes brake balance, differential and battery deployment with one button press? Or must each driver input only affect one parameter?

I’m guessing that the engine mode settings change multiple parameters within the engine at once so maybe macros are possible for other settings?

[u/Magnet50]

Many years ago, at an F1 race at Indianapolis, I was using my scanner to find team communications. I found McLaren, David Coulthard’s engineer and DC.

We were sitting near the entry to T1 and DC had just passed. His engineer said something like “David, turn A anticlockwise to 4, then turn D clockwise to 6 and press button G.” And then he repeated the instruction.

A few seconds later, his engineer, sounding exasperated, called “Box box now David.”

Then DC, in his wonderful Scottish accent replied “Look, I appreciate your need for data, but please don’t give me complex instructions to make changes when I am in the twisty bits.

[u/Onoben4 → u/Magnet50]

"Gentlemen, a short view back to the past. Thirty years ago, Niki Lauda told us ‘take a monkey, place him into the cockpit and he is able to drive the car.’ Thirty years later, Sebastian told us ‘I had to start my car like a computer, it’s very complicated.’ And Nico Rosberg said that during the race – I don’t remember what race - he pressed the wrong button on the wheel. Question for you both: is Formula One driving today too complicated with twenty and more buttons on the wheel, are you too much under effort, under pressure? What are your wishes for the future concerning the technical programme during the race? Less buttons, more? Or less and more communication with your engineers?"

[u/Magnet50 → u/Onoben4]

From my prospective, the ‘easy’ answer is that if there are changes to the car, be it battery deployment, rate of charge, differentials, brake bias, engine mode, then it should be controlled solely by the driver, with prompting by the engineer.

So that means no corner by corner planning and engine software design for battery deployment.

But that genie is out of the bottle.

Given the authority to make changes, I would reduce the weight and size of the car and simplify the control inputs.

I get that “manufacturers” want the F1 cars to more mirror their modern production cars. And we are down to but two real manufacturers. McLaren makes cars but get their engines from Mercedes. Alpine, ditto. Ford will use, if I have this correct, Honda engines. And GM will use Ferrari.

But no modern car, ICE Hybrids, or EVs will do things like plan battery deployment based on route. I am sure Tesla will claim they do, but they seem to lie about plenty of things.

So I would make battery deployment linear based on throttle position and gain and recharging based throttle off regeneration from the rear axle.

But all this is mental masturbation. As I said, the genie is out of the bottle and won’t go back in unless the cost cap is reduced to such an extent that teams would be forced to cut workforce.