Left Handed F1 Drivers
Discussion
I was reading about famous left handed people and it got me thinking about which F1 drivers have been left handed and did it impact on their driving.
The page highlighted that a lot of influential people in their chosen fields are left handed despite lefties only making up around 10% of the global population. For example, Da Vinci, Einstein, Hendrix, Bowie, Pele, Maradona and Churchill were all left handed to name just a few.
I have since found out that a certain Ayrton Senna was also left handed. So is Jenson Button, Valentino Rossi and interestingly so is car designer Adrian Newey.
It struck me that the some most revered people in their fields were/are left handed and I wondered if you think that Senna may have had some advantage from it? Was he wired differently? Does this apply to Newey too?
Senna drove mainly in the days of manual gearboxes, so could he have held an advantage over others by being able to keep his dominant hand on the wheel whilst going up or down the box and therefore have better accuracy when the car was at it's most unstable?
Are there any other lefties in the sport?
The page highlighted that a lot of influential people in their chosen fields are left handed despite lefties only making up around 10% of the global population. For example, Da Vinci, Einstein, Hendrix, Bowie, Pele, Maradona and Churchill were all left handed to name just a few.
I have since found out that a certain Ayrton Senna was also left handed. So is Jenson Button, Valentino Rossi and interestingly so is car designer Adrian Newey.
It struck me that the some most revered people in their fields were/are left handed and I wondered if you think that Senna may have had some advantage from it? Was he wired differently? Does this apply to Newey too?
Senna drove mainly in the days of manual gearboxes, so could he have held an advantage over others by being able to keep his dominant hand on the wheel whilst going up or down the box and therefore have better accuracy when the car was at it's most unstable?
Are there any other lefties in the sport?
Fellow southpaw here. There seems to some thought that attacking a right hand bend on a motorbike is more suited to a left handed person as your brain doesn’t engage the “protect the dominant side” part of the brain. Not sure how that would translate in a car but maybe similar that they would be more comfortable pressing on round a right hand bend rather than a left. Is there more left or right hand bends on a given circuit?
TwentyFive said:
Senna drove mainly in the days of manual gearboxes, so could he have held an advantage over others by being able to keep his dominant hand on the wheel whilst going up or down the box and therefore have better accuracy when the car was at it's most unstable?
Given the lengths F1 teams go to to gain a competitive edge, would they not have located the gear stick on the side that best suited each driver if such an advantage existed?MitchT said:
Given the lengths F1 teams go to to gain a competitive edge, would they not have located the gear stick on the side that best suited each driver if such an advantage existed?
Probably not actually. For many years, ergonomics was not even the tiniest of factors in F1 car design. If there was an engineering benefit to having it on a certain side, then that’s where it would go. The driver would just have to deal with it.sgtBerbatov said:
There is a lot of conjecture here.
Senna was great, but so was Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Neither are (to my knowledge) left handed. Gordon Murray, arguably more of a visionary and far more influential than Newey, isn't left handed.
I completely agree that is is all conjecture, but all good debate is formed around opinions.Senna was great, but so was Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Neither are (to my knowledge) left handed. Gordon Murray, arguably more of a visionary and far more influential than Newey, isn't left handed.
I guess my original thought process lay around the possibility that for Senna in particular, being left handed could have provided him with an advantage over others and I was interested to see if people had considered it themselves. Schumacher and Hamilton didn't race in the era of manual F1.
Was Murray more of a visionary or did he have the luxury of a career at a time with far less restrictions on design? What could Newey have come up with in an era with more design freedom? Again all conjecture.
This is the sort of thread that can only exist pre season 
I'd imagine that if a driver has to frequently rely upon their weaker hand, eventually it would become just about as adept and controlled as their initial stronger hand.
Thinking of my left foot braking which to start with was clumsy as hell, might as well have been a binary on/off switch rather than progressive use of a brake pedal!
After a lot of practice it now feels as natural as braking with my right foot. Didn't Kimi drive an old car recently with the throttle or right foot clutch? Something weird like that..
I'd imagine that if a driver has to frequently rely upon their weaker hand, eventually it would become just about as adept and controlled as their initial stronger hand.
Thinking of my left foot braking which to start with was clumsy as hell, might as well have been a binary on/off switch rather than progressive use of a brake pedal!
After a lot of practice it now feels as natural as braking with my right foot. Didn't Kimi drive an old car recently with the throttle or right foot clutch? Something weird like that..
Dunno if he has any advantages but I'd think that Newey has a disadvantage with being left handed when it comes to detailing his drawings, though it can't be much of a disadvantage otherwise he'd have ditched the drawing board for CAD by now.
I would think in the car any advantage comes with a disadvantage somewhere else. If you are left handed and your left hand is better on the wheel, then your right hand is worse with the gearbox. Maybe lefties are harder on gearboxes. Maybe that's why Senna's car broke more often than Prosts
. And if your left foot is better on the brakes, then your right foot will be less good when it comes to accelerating. Maybe less sensitive so you might be able to brake harder, but then not be able to keep as finely balanced on the limit of traction on the way out of the corner. And in Senna's day, they'd brake with the right foot anyway and the left is only used to stab at the clutch pedal. Maybe that explains Senna's on/off throttle cadencing technique too.
Please take all that with a pinch of salt, I'm not being remotely serious.
I would think in the car any advantage comes with a disadvantage somewhere else. If you are left handed and your left hand is better on the wheel, then your right hand is worse with the gearbox. Maybe lefties are harder on gearboxes. Maybe that's why Senna's car broke more often than Prosts
. And if your left foot is better on the brakes, then your right foot will be less good when it comes to accelerating. Maybe less sensitive so you might be able to brake harder, but then not be able to keep as finely balanced on the limit of traction on the way out of the corner. And in Senna's day, they'd brake with the right foot anyway and the left is only used to stab at the clutch pedal. Maybe that explains Senna's on/off throttle cadencing technique too.Please take all that with a pinch of salt, I'm not being remotely serious.
sgtBerbatov said:
Gordon Murray, arguably more of a visionary and far more influential than Newey, isn't left handed.
I just wanted to check on this but in what way is Gordon Murray more visionary or far more influential than Adrian Newey?I would equally argue that in Formula 1 specifically, Gordon is very much overrated!
I suspect this might also be an entry into the unpopular opinions thread!
Regards Mike
Edited by blackmme on Wednesday 13th January 22:27
blackmme said:
sgtBerbatov said:
Gordon Murray, arguably more of a visionary and far more influential than Newey, isn't left handed.
I just wanted to check on this but in what way is Gordon Murray more visionary or far more influential than Adrian Newey?I would equally argue that in Formula 1 specifically, Gordon is very much overrated!
I suspect this might also be an entry into the unpopular opinions thread!
Regards Mike
Edited by blackmme on Wednesday 13th January 22:27
Murray on the other hand tends to rethink, not just refine what is established. Hence the fan car, the middle seat in the Mclaren F1 and the fact that in a world of supercars chasing pointless top trump stats, actually the new T50 should simply be a wealthy drivers car that delivers genuine smiles and invites driver interaction encourages fun. I think Murray's tendency to not only refine established ideas, but to take a fresh look at the problem and solution, be it racing or road cars is inspirational for other designers hoping to make a mark. You can't stand out unless you're prepared to get bit radical sometimes.
Also Murray has designed (I think) more road cars making his efforts more accessible, and due to the length of his career will doubtless have worked with more people and influenced them.
When Newey designed the RB X2010 fictional car for Gran Turismo he decided it should have a fan - on the basis he loved the idea from Murray's famed Brabham. So I imagine as a younger man he was at that time directly inspired and influenced by Murray himself.
Speaking as someone who was 'persuaded' that I was right handed by the enlightened education system of the '50's (I had my left hand tied behind my back until I wrote with my right) I would say that the simple motor skills involved in driving (or anything else for that matter) are transferrable from left to right in pretty short order. I can use tools both left and right handed and can change over at will, depending on which hand gives me the best position on the job and I can brake with my left or right foot with equal 'feel'.
I think what may be more important is that 'left hookers' brain processes are quite different to the traditional norm. They tend to think more intuitively and logic is much lower down in their thought process, which may provide some insight into the relative personality traits of lefties versus righties.
Kim
eta Somewhat embarrassingly, I now find that I can't write longhand with either hand - my writing, which was always somewhat of a scrawl deteriorated to unreadable after I worked for years as an old school pen and ink draftsman (yes, against type) and I developed a printing hand which changed the way I held any pen, and I find I can't revert - silly, isn't it?
I think what may be more important is that 'left hookers' brain processes are quite different to the traditional norm. They tend to think more intuitively and logic is much lower down in their thought process, which may provide some insight into the relative personality traits of lefties versus righties.
Kim
eta Somewhat embarrassingly, I now find that I can't write longhand with either hand - my writing, which was always somewhat of a scrawl deteriorated to unreadable after I worked for years as an old school pen and ink draftsman (yes, against type) and I developed a printing hand which changed the way I held any pen, and I find I can't revert - silly, isn't it?
kimducati said:
Speaking as someone who was 'persuaded' that I was right handed by the enlightened education system of the '50's (I had my left hand tied behind my back until I wrote with my right) I would say that the simple motor skills involved in driving (or anything else for that matter) are transferrable from left to right in pretty short order. I can use tools both left and right handed and can change over at will, depending on which hand gives me the best position on the job and I can brake with my left or right foot with equal 'feel'.
I think what may be more important is that 'left hookers' brain processes are quite different to the traditional norm. They tend to think more intuitively and logic is much lower down in their thought process, which may provide some insight into the relative personality traits of lefties versus righties.
Kim
eta Somewhat embarrassingly, I now find that I can't write longhand with either hand - my writing, which was always somewhat of a scrawl deteriorated to unreadable after I worked for years as an old school pen and ink draftsman (yes, against type) and I developed a printing hand which changed the way I held any pen, and I find I can't revert - silly, isn't it?
Working in tight spaces over the years has taught me to use either hand on the tools too. Entirely interchangeable now.I think what may be more important is that 'left hookers' brain processes are quite different to the traditional norm. They tend to think more intuitively and logic is much lower down in their thought process, which may provide some insight into the relative personality traits of lefties versus righties.
Kim
eta Somewhat embarrassingly, I now find that I can't write longhand with either hand - my writing, which was always somewhat of a scrawl deteriorated to unreadable after I worked for years as an old school pen and ink draftsman (yes, against type) and I developed a printing hand which changed the way I held any pen, and I find I can't revert - silly, isn't it?
Most of it is definitely practice and muscle memory along with building sensitivity. I accept that there is a difference in how both sides are wired too... But honestly I struggle to see how that impacts an F1 driver today on a physical basis, all racing drivers need to develop sensitivity and strength across both feet and with paddle gears either hand can be on/off the wheel and still be up to the job. Interesting point about the intuition vs logic, but a heck of a job to prove which trait is 'best' in a driver. Also, the're heavily coached to develop both from a young age regardless of whichever strengths they start with.
TheDeuce said:
Working in tight spaces over the years has taught me to use either hand on the tools too. Entirely interchangeable now.
Most of it is definitely practice and muscle memory along with building sensitivity. I accept that there is a difference in how both sides are wired too... But honestly I struggle to see how that impacts an F1 driver today on a physical basis, all racing drivers need to develop sensitivity and strength across both feet and with paddle gears either hand can be on/off the wheel and still be up to the job. Interesting point about the intuition vs logic, but a heck of a job to prove which trait is 'best' in a driver. Also, the're heavily coached to develop both from a young age regardless of whichever strengths they start with.
I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous (I'll get me coat)Most of it is definitely practice and muscle memory along with building sensitivity. I accept that there is a difference in how both sides are wired too... But honestly I struggle to see how that impacts an F1 driver today on a physical basis, all racing drivers need to develop sensitivity and strength across both feet and with paddle gears either hand can be on/off the wheel and still be up to the job. Interesting point about the intuition vs logic, but a heck of a job to prove which trait is 'best' in a driver. Also, the're heavily coached to develop both from a young age regardless of whichever strengths they start with.
TheDeuce said:
Apples and pears perhaps. Newey is forever trying to refine racecars, which means much of his work and thinking is shrouded in secrecy - he himself is not all that open as a person either. Much great work done no doubt, but you can only influence people to a limited degree when you're actively trying to not let them figure out what you're doing or why..
Murray on the other hand tends to rethink, not just refine what is established. Hence the fan car, the middle seat in the Mclaren F1 and the fact that in a world of supercars chasing pointless top trump stats, actually the new T50 should simply be a wealthy drivers car that delivers genuine smiles and invites driver interaction encourages fun. I think Murray's tendency to not only refine established ideas, but to take a fresh look at the problem and solution, be it racing or road cars is inspirational for other designers hoping to make a mark. You can't stand out unless you're prepared to get bit radical sometimes.
Also Murray has designed (I think) more road cars making his efforts more accessible, and due to the length of his career will doubtless have worked with more people and influenced them.
When Newey designed the RB X2010 fictional car for Gran Turismo he decided it should have a fan - on the basis he loved the idea from Murray's famed Brabham. So I imagine as a younger man he was at that time directly inspired and influenced by Murray himself.
I am rather more thinking about F1 than the broader automotive world when comparing them and as you say it is Apples and Oranges. Murray on the other hand tends to rethink, not just refine what is established. Hence the fan car, the middle seat in the Mclaren F1 and the fact that in a world of supercars chasing pointless top trump stats, actually the new T50 should simply be a wealthy drivers car that delivers genuine smiles and invites driver interaction encourages fun. I think Murray's tendency to not only refine established ideas, but to take a fresh look at the problem and solution, be it racing or road cars is inspirational for other designers hoping to make a mark. You can't stand out unless you're prepared to get bit radical sometimes.
Also Murray has designed (I think) more road cars making his efforts more accessible, and due to the length of his career will doubtless have worked with more people and influenced them.
When Newey designed the RB X2010 fictional car for Gran Turismo he decided it should have a fan - on the basis he loved the idea from Murray's famed Brabham. So I imagine as a younger man he was at that time directly inspired and influenced by Murray himself.
Even so the Fan Car though whilst innovative was a workaround because Lotus at the direction of Chapman had taken a leap with Ground Effect. Whilst Lotus was honing the 78 into the 79 Gordon was mucking around with Surface Cooling on the original BT46 which was a complete and utter failure. Interestingly both Lotus and Brabham then made precisely the same mistake with their 1979 cars!
When considering innovation in F1 I think Adrian Newey has had more successes than failures and vice versa for Gordon Murray and actually John Barnard eclipses them both.
I would recommend Newey's book "How to build a Car" and John Barnard's "The Perfect Car" both are full of insight into their thinking and the design process and at £20 to £30 are a bit more accessible than Gordon's autobiography.
Regards Mike
Bright Halo said:
When on a track day I’m more confident to push harder around a right hand bend than a left (I’m right handed) There maybe something in it for us mortals but I’m sure pro drivers have eliminated any bias from there driving.
In a right hand drive car you have a better sight line for right hand bends, being closer to the wheels on that side to place them on the apex of right hand bends. You also have the psychological advantage of having more empty car to act as crumple zone and protect your left side if you crash in a right-hander. I have found this effect is reversed when driving a left hand drive car.sgtBerbatov said:
There is a lot of conjecture here.
Senna was great, but so was Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Neither are (to my knowledge) left handed.
Schumacher and Hamilton have reputations as almost robotic, boring, grinding away to get results. I've often wondered if left handed sports people are seen as the ones having more flair, like there's a subtle difference to the way they do things that isn't in line with how most people go about their sport.Senna was great, but so was Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton. Neither are (to my knowledge) left handed.
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