When Mercedes-Benz introduced the W196 in 1954 they limited the car to three gauges for rpm, oil pressure and water temperature so as not to cause the driver to lose concentration. As recently as 1992, the steering wheel on a Formula 1 car was a relatively plain, straightforward piece of equipment, round in shape, with a metal plate at the centre to attach it to the steering column, and generally no more than three buttons – one for selecting neutral, one for releasing liquid through a tube in the helmet for the driver to replenish his fluid levels and one for the radio.

The advent of complex electronic systems in Formula 1 throughout the 1990s changed all that but instead of mountingever more gauges on a dashboard controlsved to the steering wheel and mostly limited to indicator lights and dials. McLaren engineer John Barnard introduced a system that enabled Nigel Mansell to shift gears without having to move a hand away from the steering wheel. It was introduced as a lever system at the back of the steering wheel. A pull on the left paddle will shift one gear down while the right paddle shifts up in a similar way. This eliminates the possibility of a driver missing a gear, therefore increasing the smoothness and improving the timing of gearshifts. Together with the introduction of semi-automatic gearboxes, this was one of the most changing introductions in the history of Formula One, especially on the driver's side. Later on, when left foot braking was introduced into Formula One, the clutch pedal was removed and replaced by a fully automatic hydraulic clutch, activated when the driver shifts gears on the steering wheel.

Engine mapping, traction control and the advent of launch control programs that optimized the race start procedure all required various buttons and toggle switches to enable the driver to fine-tune his car’s settings while on-track. Modern Formula 1 steering wheels are also equipped with a further lever clutch lever which the driver can use to declutch when standing still, such as during a pitstop or in the gravel to keep the engine running.

Several teams started to experiment with the now familiar wings in the late 1960s. Race car wings operate on exactly the same principle as aircraft wings, only in reverse. Air flows at different speeds over the two sides of the wing (by having to travel different distances over its contours) and this creates a difference in pressure, a physical rule known as Bernoulli's Principle. As this pressure tries to balance, the wing tries to move in the direction of the low pressure. Planes use their wings to create lift, race cars use theirs to create downforce. A modern Formula One car is capable of developing 3.5 g lateral cornering force (three and a half times its own weight) thanks to aerodynamic downforce. That means that, theoretically, at high speeds they could drive upside down.

Early experiments with movable wings and high mountings led to some spectacular accidents, and for the 1970 season regulations were introduced to limit the size and location of wings. Evolved over time, those rules still hold largely true today.

By the mid 1970s 'ground effect' downforce had been discovered. Lotus engineers found out that the entire car could be made to act like a wing by the creation of a giant wing on its underside which would help to suck it to the road. The ultimate example of this thinking was the Brabham BT46B, designed by Gordon Murray, which actually used a cooling fan to extract air from the skirted area under the car, creating enormous downforce. After technical challenges from other teams it was withdrawn after a single race. And rule changes followed to limit the benefits of 'ground effects' - firstly a ban on the skirts used to contain the low pressure area, later a requirement for a 'stepped floor'.

A reporter once asked 1980 World Champion Alan Jones whether his tires played an important part in his race that day. Jones replied “Oh, absolutely. You see, they keep the wheels from touching the ground.” In the early sixties teams realized that by removing the grooves from a tire a car will have more grip on the road surface due to the expanded area of the tire making contact with the road. All teams ran with slick tires up to the 1998 season when grooved tires.were mandated in an attempt to slow speeds. For 2009 regulation changes have called for a return to slick tires and a ban on the use of tire blankets to pre-heat the tires to their optimum temperature of 110C-110C.