Do F1 cars Have A Speedometer?

Anyone that’s watched a Formula 1 race would know there’s only one way to see how fast a driver is going – it’s to use his telemetry-based gearshift display. But do F1 cars actually have a speedometer?

Yes, F1 cars do have a speedometer but it is not in the conventional sense that people know it. You see, in F1, there is no absolute definition of the distance or time units. F1 cars can reach speeds of more than 240 mph (400 kph), accelerate from 0-62 mph (0-100kph) in 2.4 seconds, and can corner at more than 180 mph (300 kph) These cars also have enormous stopping power and can decelerate from 124 mph (200 kph) in 2.4 seconds. That is a stopping distance of 213 ft (65 meters). In comparison, a high-performance road sedan will stop from the same speed in 890 feet (271 meters). In cars with such a performance capability, the reading from a traditional speedometer is less critical than you might imagine.

Modern F1 cars do not have a standalone instrument acting as a speedometer. F1 cars have very complex steering wheels into which a screen is installed. The driver can access more than 100 pages of information through the screen, of which speed is one.

In addition to the seventeen switches, LEDs, rotary dials, and gear levers, a screen is installed in the center of the F1 steering wheel.

The drivers have access to various data such as:

• The engine revs

• The Real-Time Speed

• Average speed

• The Best lap times

• The current lap time

• The Last lap Time

• The difference in lap times

• Fuel used

• Fuel remaining

• Lap Number

• Laps To Go

• Tire Wear

• Tire pressure

• The speed required to maintain the delta if a virtual safety car is deployed

• The time interval to the car in front

• Battery energy status

• Braking System Bias

• Messaging system from the team

Speed is an incredibly important part of Formula 1 racing. As you may already be aware, a Formula 1 car isn’t equipped with a speedometer. But all F1 cars are equipped with a GPS system that allows the team to know what the speed of an F1 car is at all times. Although there isn’t a speedometer in the cockpit, there are several readings that can give you very good estimates of your speed.

The last thing they need is to worry about how fast they’re going. They’re professionals—and these professional racing teams take many measures to ensure that the racers and their professional racing vehicles are safe for every sensational lap.