Alonso's start

[n_anirudh]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nEfIomu ... re=related[/youtube]

This was briefly discussed in the flying lap episodes with Scarbs. Alonso does not have his hands on the steering wheel at the starts and then flips the clutch/gear paddles..

Can anyone please explain this. Mods, i have posted this in engine/trani & control, move it to wherever appropriate.
cheers

[Dragonfly]

Maybe his hands are low on the steering wheel and out of camera's view, because the paddles which operate the clutch are on the lower side.

[n_anirudh]

Possibly, but why not be in a ready position?? Is it because he wants to get off the line in a "straight" position, rather than distort the wheel slightly by resting on them?

http://www.twitvid.com/EVKTK

[ESPImperium]

Maybe his hands are low on the steering wheel and out of camera's view, because the paddles which operate the clutch are on the lower side.

The Ferrari has the clutch on the lower end of the wheel indeed, then gears then two switches for DRS.

Most teams run their clutch on the lower part of the wheel.

[raymondu999]

I have paid special attention to this and watched all 32 of his race starts from Ferrari. He has his hands kind of in "cupped" position below the wheel, kind of like a beggar would to ask for money with hands.

I think he wants to possibly keep the wheel dead straight so that he doesn't have the slightest bit of tyre drag slowing the car down. When he gets to the "wheelspin eliminated," traction phase, he has his hands back on the wheel

[n_anirudh]

What is tyre drag? Would it be influenced if his hands were on the wheel?

[raymondu999]

By tyre drag I mean the friction generated by the front tyres pointing any way other than forwards, acting against the car's direction of forward motion.

[Fil]

More likely it's just a more comfortable position for him to use the clutch paddles at the start.

He's obviously found a routine & hand position that works, & whilst he enjoys those sorts of starts, he'll stick to it.

[Caito]

In my opinion he is trying to use the index finger to operate the clutches. He'd use the index finger because, unless you're used too, index finger have more sensibility than the others.

So I'd guess he has better control using the index fingers hence his hand on the bottom of the wheel.



Try it yourself, the scroll wheel of the mouse with other than the middle or index finger.

[timbo]

In my opinion he is trying to use the index finger to operate the clutches. He'd use the index finger because, unless you're used too, index finger have more sensibility than the others.

+1