Mercedes has opted for a bold new approach to clutch paddle design on its 2017 F1 car, in a bid to help Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas make better starts this year. With the team putting a particular focus on improving its starts, after a number of problems away from the lights last season, its efforts have gone as far as clever moulding of the paddles on the steering wheel. This move has come in response to a change in start rules imposed by the FIA in its push to get rid of driver aids. New rules The new FIA restrictions have been designed to make life harder for drivers – with new linear torque restrictions meaning more precision is now needed with releasing the clutch at starts...
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