F1 fans won’t like the hidden driver aid that guides their heroes through every lap

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Many of the aids that Formula 1 drivers used to have to help them are now banned such as traction control, anti-lock braking, and active suspension.

This is due to the regulation which states that drivers must “drive the car alone and unaided,” which was taken to the extreme in 2016 when the FIA briefly banned teams from making team radio calls that could improve performance.

Although the drivers largely rely on their own inputs for driving the cars, there is still a lot of technology working in the background to ensure the car is reliable and efficient during a Grand Prix.

There is one aid that drivers can use which some fans may not be aware about, and it can make a massive difference to their lap time.

F1 drivers use ‘beeps’ in their ears to change gear

F1 drivers change gear between 3,000 and 3,800 times during a Grand Prix, as they attempt to extract every last bit of performance out of their car.

That can reach up to 50 times a lap in places like Monaco, where they will make approximately 25 upshifts and 25 downshifts around the tight 3.3km (2 mile) circuit. Baku Street Circuit, which hosts the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, has the most gearchanges of any track on the F1 calendar with 70 largely due to the long straights and layout.

Drivers have a multi-function steering wheel which has LEDs that display when to change gear, with the paddles on the back of the wheel enabling them to change gear seamlessly throughout a lap.

In addition to the LED lights, drivers will also get ‘beeps’ in their earpieces, which tell them when to upshift and give them the optimum shift time. Drivers can also get these beeps to tell them when they can activate the Drag Reduction System.

F1 drivers use beeps to help with other aids

As F1 Grands Prix are endurance races because they no longer feature refuelling after it was banned in 2010, drivers must also apportion some time to saving fuel.

In addition to telling them when to upshift, F1 drivers can also request the beeps to tell them when to lift and coast to save fuel.

This is also used across disciplines such as Formula E, where drivers can be told when to lift off the throttle to conserve energy.

The beeps can be varied in tone to ensure drivers are not getting the same sounds in their ears and get confused, but it is one of the many additional aids drivers can have which help them in the highly pressured environment.