Lewis Hamilton fans were baffled after noticing his left hand on the top of the steering wheel – but there’s a reason behind the Mercedes F1 legend’s technique

Formula One fans have only just begun to notice Lewis Hamilton’s peculiar steering wheel technique during races. But one of the Mercedes F1 team’s mechanics has offered an explanation to end the mystery.

Hamilton’s diehard fans have followed his F1 journey for 17 years, during which he has won a record-tying seven world titles. But even the British racing legend’s most eagle-eyed supporters could be forgiven for not catching one of his racing habits – which is that he doesn’t grip the steering wheel with both hands at the start of races.

During the first lap of a race, the soon-to-be Ferrari star instead has his left hand at the top of the wheel. His hand position becomes unmissable once you notice it and sets him apart from fellow drivers, including team-mate George Russell, who does not share the unique gear shift holding approach.

Fans have noticed a bizarre racing technique which Mercedes F1 star Lewis Hamilton uses (Image: Getty)

Hamilton holds the downshift gear paddle so he can’t accidentally go down a gear during the first lap of races (Image: Sky Sports F1)

A Mercedes team mechanic finally sought to dispel the social media speculation surrounding the bizarre technique last year. And his reasoning – which quickly went viral – was recorded while he took fans on a tour of the Mercedes pit.

Mirroring Hamilton’s grip, the mechanic asked: “Do you know why Lewis starts like that? Why? What do you think?

“Is he showing you something? Or is holding (the downshift gear paddle) so he can’t go down a gear. Because what you don’t want to do is accidentally go down a gear so If you put your hand there, you can’t go down a gear.”

One theory behind Hamilton’s decision is his preference for a smaller gear-shifting paddle compared to his fellow drivers, potentially making him more susceptible to the aforementioned issue.

Hamilton’s odd technique has served him well (Image: Getty)

It’s important to note that the 39-year-old veteran hasn’t always used this technique, however. It was first spotted during the 2021 season, during which Hamilton lost the championship in the final race to Max Verstappen under highly controversial circumstances.

His distinctive steering wheel grip was once again seen at the start of the Belgian Grand Prix last month. He secured first place for the second time this season after fellow Silver Arrows driver Russell was disqualified due to his car being under the minimum required weight at the end of the race.

Hamilton will be aiming for another victory at today’s Dutch Grand Prix to narrow the gap on those ahead of him in the drivers’ championship. However, it won’t be an easy task, with Red Bull rival and championship leader Verstappen having won all three Zandvoort races since 1985.