Lewis Hamilton's bizarre steering wheel technique spotted by F1 fans as reason why emerges
Mercedes F1 legend Lewis Hamilton has been seen with his left hand on the top of the steering wheel, sparking debate about why he uses a technique not seen by the other drivers on the grid
Formula One fans have just begun to notice Lewis Hamilton ’s bizarre steering wheel technique - and his Mercedes mechanic has sought to explain the mystery.
F1 fans have followed the British racing legend’s journey for 17 years, during which time he has won a record-equalling seven world championships. But even the most eagle-eyed of his supporters may have missed one of his recurring racing tendencies, which is that he does not hold the handles on his steering wheel with both hands.
Instead, the soon to be Ferrari star has his left hand at the top of the wheel at the start of races. His hand position becomes unmissable once you notice it and is unique among drivers on the grid, with even team-mate George Russell not using the same first lap gear shift holding arrangements.
A Mercedes mechanic finally sought to explain the strange technique last year after much speculation on social media. And his reasoning - which quickly went viral - was recorded while taking fans on a tour of the Mercedes pit.
Adopting the same grip as Hamilton, the mechanic said: “Do you know why Lewis starts like that? Why? What do you think?
“Is he showing you something? Or is holding (the downshift gear paddle) so he can't go down a gear. Because what you don't want to do is accidentally go down a gear so If you put your hand there, you can't go down a gear.”
One of the suggestions for Hamilton's decision is that he favours a smaller gear shifting paddle to that of his fellow drivers and could be more prone to the aforementioned issue.
It is worth noting that the 39-year-old veteran has not always implemented this technique, however. It was first seen during the 2021 season, where Hamilton lost the championship during the final race of the season to Max Verstappen in hugely controversial circumstances.
His unique steering wheel grip was again visible at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix last month. He finished in first place for the second time this season after team-mate Russell was disqualified due to his car being below the minimum required weight at the end of the race.
Hamilton will hope for similar success at the Dutch Grand Prix today in order to close the gap on those above him in the drivers' championship. But it will be no easy feat, with Red Bull rival and championship leader Verstappen having won all three of the Zandvoort races since 1985.
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