During Carb Day practice for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500, NBC Sports analyst and former IndyCar driver Danica Patrick had the chance to show viewers on NBCSN an up and close view of one of the complex steering wheels that IndyCar drivers use to pilot their cars.
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Holding a steering wheel used by Max Chilton, Patrick explained to viewers what many of the buttons and levers on the wheel were used for, and compared the steering wheel to the controls of a fighter jet. The overall setup of each steering wheel can vary from team to team to fit driver preferences.
Patrick mentioned that when she returned to the Indy 500 last year after spending several years in NASCAR, she was surprised to see new changes made to the steering wheel since she left the series in 2011.
“The first thing that was shocking to me was that there is no clutch pedal anymore. It’s just a clutch paddle,” Patrick told viewers as she held the steering wheel.
“It really helps to be very familiar with this, if you can memorize it.”