How do these cars shift?

Been watching the qualifying runs for the Grand Prix in France and trying to determine how these cars are shifting. I don't see paddles, levers, or buttons being pushed. I don't really see anything but the driver's hand on the wheel while the car is running through it's gears.

Is there a clutch?

How many gears are there?

How high do these engines spin?

Tried the search engine but couldn't find what I was looking for. Anyone know of a link?

 

Some selected races allow for automatic transmission's.

 

Actually all races allow for 'automatic' transmissions - though not in the torque converter sense.

 

18.5krpm

some are 6-speed, some are 7-speed

 

Alex, who is still running 6s? All the top teams are using 7s as far as I can tell.

The transmissions are clutchless manuals. There is a clutch for starting out without the launch control, it's operated by a button on the steering wheel. Typically the launch control is used, though. There are paddles on the backside of the wheel (near where the drivers' index fingers are), but most of the teams run automated shifting now - computer shifts on acceleration to optimize acceleration. Some guys still downshift manually, though.

 

just as an aside, next year they are going back to the clutch pedal/shifter. it's a change that i'm very happy to see.

-Steve

 

Billy, you're probably right: They all use 7-speed gearboxes. I haven't been paying much attention to F1, but last time I checked, they were using both 6- and 7-speed trannies.

The damn races are so boring. I usually watch just the pre-race then click over to NASCAR.

 

They automatically upshift, but the driver does the downshifts manually by using a paddle behind the wheel. You can't really see the drivers downshifting because the paddles are right behind the wheel and they only use the tips of their fingers to do it.

offroadr35, you're not inferring that they are going to have a separate clutch pedal by their feet and a shift lever to shift are you? Only thing I've heard proposed is to get rid of the automatic upshifting and make all the shifting manual by using the paddles. No mention of going back more than ten years and using a separate shift lever and clutch pedal. Since F1 has power steering, having to take their hands off the wheel to shift wouldn't be a real big deal. In CART they have no power steering and have to shift with a sequential shift lever by their leg. That can make some tricky shifting if you're in the middle of a corner. Though even in CART they don't have to use their clutch once the car gets moving. Just pull back on the shifter to go up a gear and push forward to go down. They do have to manually rev match when they're downshifting though.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by wickerbill
[B]
offroadr35, you're not inferring that they are going to have a separate clutch pedal by their feet and a shift lever to shift are you?

 

I watch every F1 race and have NEVER heard this mentioned. I can't imagine the teams voting for this, especially when several of the manufacturers involved in F1 have transferred this technology to their road cars.