F1 cars are worth millions of euros, and a good part of the budget goes into the steering wheel. Here’s how much it costs exactly.
Today we will tell you about a very interesting aspect regarding F1 cars, that is, the cost of the steering wheel that the pilots use. As you will see, these are real computers from which to manage all the various functions of very complicated cars like those of today, and which can make the difference in many racing situations.
As we know, an F1 car costs millions and millions of euros, with the power unit obviously being the most expensive part. However, we are sure that the price of the steering wheel will surprise you quite a bit, since an object of such small dimensions can reach truly astonishing figures. However, considering the technology behind it, we are sure that you will understand the reason for this price.
F1, here is the precise price of a steering wheel
The F1 steering wheel is a fundamental component for drivers, and it must be said that in the last thirty years it has undergone a development that few could have imagined. Indeed, they have become real computers, rich in information and keysand their primary purpose, which is to make the car steer, has almost become secondary.
The first major evolution was the steering wheel gear shift Ferrari led to the debut in 1989, and which began with the historic victory of Nigel Mansell in Brazil. Certainly, the sequential gearbox was a turning point, which allowed the drivers to struggle much less while driving and to be able to mentally concentrate more on the trackmoving away the times when our favorites got out of the cars with their hands full of wounds.
Even in the era of Michael Schumacher there has been a great development on the steering wheel front, with the Kaiser of Kerpen being one of the great supporters of their growth. Nowadays, with hybrid F1s, we have a crazy number of buttons and also a very large screenin which pilots can manage any type of functionality.
Just to give you some examples, they have all the data relating to temperatures available, both of the tires and of the power unit, as well as other data. On the front of the keys, they can manage the engine maps, engage neutral with the N button, and the pit lane limiterbut also a large number of other functions, such as, trivially, even the radio and the liquids that are drunk.
But how much does a steering wheel cost? According to various sources, it costs between 50 and 100 thousand euros, and a lot can also depend from team to team, with the reference teams obviously having the most technological and therefore expensive steering wheels. We’ll see if the cost of steering wheels will drop with the 2026 cars, since the power units should be less complex. In any case, we wouldn’t bet on it given that development is always very rapid.
