Pedal pushers

How often do you read about the design of a steering wheel? Its roundness. The Alcantara. Whether Lewis Hamilton had some input. And how often do you read about the pedals? Maybe their placement, either in relation to each other or the offset of the whole shooting match? But the actual design of the pedals is hardly ever mentioned, often with good reason. The spangly steering wheel and the prosaic pedals. Lady and the tramps.

We focus on the hands. More obvious. Perhaps it all stems from first experiences. Sitting on a lap and steering while the pedals are worked unseen. Yet once you know what’s happening in the footwell, there is a fascination with footwork. After all, what feet do is arguably rather more important to the whole process of driving. Left and right are all very well, but going and stopping are even more fundamental.