planetf1.com

I had it in my head that the gear shift indicator leds on F1 cars were symmetrical - starting in the middle and going out in both directions until time to shift.

However looking on YouTube they all start from the left and go up to the right. Some of them start in the middle and go right, with the leds to the left being used for something else, maybe ERS.

Have they ever been symmetrical? Did I imagine that?

It all depends on team and driver preference. It is a simple matter to program the light sequence any way they desire. But these days the drivers do not use their eyes when it is time to shift, they receive a distinct beep in their ears. That way, for each gear the software knows best.

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Maybe you were thinking of this



https://www.tumblr.com/tagged/knight-rider-gif

Everyone knows its all about super pursuit mode!!!

As blinky stated most driver use an audible beep/tone telling them when the optimal shift point is for the mode the engine is currently in. The shift lights have many different configurations that vary between drivers and manufacturers. The lights are there more as a redundancy feature incase the audible beep malfunctions

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