Stefan Bellof In the Cockpit
Many drivers have said you don’t sit in the cockpit of a Formula One car, you wear it. You slide down into a custom made seat that fits your body perfectly. The shoulder, lap and anti-submarining belts are cinched so tight you can’t move and the car feels like an extension of your body. The steering gives extraordinary feedback. When the tires are heated up to operating temperature and the front wheels have proper grip, the steering has weight and there is so much information through the wheel its like you are moving your fingers over the surface of the road feeling its texture. When the front end loses grip the weight lessens, the texture changes and you can feel the rubber moving. When the back end steps out you feel it through the seat of your pants. Watch a driver in the pits describe how the racecar is handling. They often turn an imaginary steering wheel one way and move their body in the opposite direction mimicking the behavior of the car in a turn.
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