Norris: F1 pedal cam could have better view after Silverstone trial
Lando Norris says that the pedal cam trialled by Formula 1 on his McLaren at the British Grand Prix could be given a better viewpoint.
The experiment was the first in the sport since 2000, when a camera was used on the Arrows of Pedro de la Rosa at the Belgian GP.
On that occasion it was mounted above the pedals, and to the side, with the movement of de la Rosa’s feet in clear view.
At Silverstone, in contrast, the camera was in the bottom of the footwell next to the steering column, pointing at the underside of the pedals.
Having viewed the footage from, his car Norris acknowledged that it didn’t show much, especially as modern F1 cars have no clutch pedal activity – although that was already the case in 2000.
"I think just because there's not the clutch pedal in it, it's always going to look a little bit more simple and straightforward,” he said.
“I think that's a fact. Driving with the clutch and doing the heel and toe and all of that, I did that a lot in Ginetta in 2014.
“And you feel like there's a lot more going on. And it's really not an easy thing to do. But it's also a lot of fun. Now, it is more simple. You've just got brake and throttle.”
Norris agreed that the view from above the pedals might be better.
“I do feel like it should be the other way around," he said. "What you can see well now is like the displacement of the pedals, because it's at a slight angle.
“So you can see how much maybe one pushes one of them and so on. From another way, of course, you would see the front, but then maybe you don't see the displacement as well.
“But I know what you're talking about, because I've seen the old video that they kind of compared it to, to now. And it looked more raw then than almost what it does now. But I just think a little bit of that's just how it is."
Norris acknowledged that there isn’t much space to place a camera: "I mean, I'm sure maybe there's a slightly better position to be able to look at things. There's just not a lot of room in there.
“So it's not easy to mount, and so on. But maybe they if they put it a little bit even further around?
“So more like alongside it, you'd be able to see things better, rather than like, as far behind or directly in front, at a lot more of an angle. Maybe then you see the displacements even more. So maybe that's something that they will try."
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