Specifically, both teams have added triaxial accelerometers to the upper part of their respective steering wheels. These sensors measure vibrations simultaneously in three directions, enabling a detailed analysis of the forces affecting the structure.
These sensors are directly wired to the control unit, allowing data to be recorded, downloaded, and analyzed. This practice, particularly adopted by Mercedes, has been in use for several years, especially during this era of ground-effect cars, which experience significant vibrations.
Although these steering wheels have been in use for multiple seasons, it remains crucial for teams to ensure that their internal components—especially when rearranged due to driver preferences—can withstand external vibrations without failure.
Last year, during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, George Russell struggled to grip the steering wheel due to excessive vibrations while braking. This type of monitoring helps teams verify the structural integrity of their instrumentation.
While dedicated sensors exist to measure the steering angle, these accelerometers provide even more precise measurements to understand how the car behaves in specific conditions.
An additional sensor on the steering wheel does not provide a direct reading of bouncing, as those measurements are typically taken from the chassis. However, once the data is downloaded and correlated, it helps create a more comprehensive picture of the car’s overall behavior.
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