F1 | Why the FIA inspected Lando Norris’ McLaren steering wheel at Monza. After the Italian Grand Prix, the FIA carried out detailed post-race checks on Lando Norris’ McLaren.

After the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the FIA carried out the usual detailed post-race technical checks on Lando Norris’ McLaren, focusing in particular on the steering wheel, clutch system, and electronic components. The aim was to verify full compliance between the driver’s inputs and the ECU software. McLaren successfully passed all these checks without issue.

As is customary after every race, the FIA selects one or more cars from the top ten finishers for deeper inspection beyond the standard parc fermé checks. These targeted inspections allow the Federation to closely examine specific elements of the technical regulations and ensure adherence to directives issued during the season.

This time, the spotlight was on Lando Norris’ McLaren MCL39. This is not unusual: the team’s consistent points finishes often place their cars under scrutiny. In previous instances, the focus was primarily on electronic systems to ensure they matched the homologated specifications—checks that McLaren has always passed without difficulty.

At Monza, attention shifted to the steering wheel and its associated systems. Since 2022, under the new regulations, every steering wheel design must be uploaded to an FIA open-source platform. This enables a direct comparison between the approved model and the one installed on the car during the race.

Another area of scrutiny was the clutch system. As with standard post-race checks, the FIA ensures that drivers use only one paddle, preventing the simultaneous use of two paddles to gain an advantage at the start by optimizing the clutch release point.

Electronic systems were also closely examined, with reference to technical directive TD001 and Articles 8.3 and 8.7 of the regulations. TD001 ensures that the ECU software used is exclusively FIA-approved, while the other articles verify that no additional driver aids are present.

The regulations clearly define which driving aids are allowed, including aspects related to electronic management and automated functions. This enables the FIA to confirm that each system responds solely to direct driver input, avoiding situations like the 2019 Renault case, where a device automatically adjusted brake bias.

The Federation is meticulous about these details, ensuring that no intermediate devices exist between driver input and the standard ECU, nor any automated ECU interventions without direct command. McLaren passed all these inspections with no issues.

A similar inspection was conducted on Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari at the Miami Grand Prix, demonstrating that such thorough checks have become standard practice to ensure every technical regulation is followed to the letter.