Lando Norris suggests improvements to pedal cam after return at Silverstone

Lando Norris feels that Formula 1 could take a look to the past in a bid to improve the pedal cam, but also gave his own suggestion.

Over two decades after the pedal cam was last used, the concept made its return on the McLaren driven by Lando Norris at the British Grand Prix.

The positioning of the camera meant it showed the movement of the pedals from underneath, while in its last appearance before that hiatus, it was placed above the pedals to show the movement of Pedro de la Rosa’s feet in the Arrows car at the 2000 Belgian Grand Prix.

Having seen that footage, Norris agreed with the suggestion that Formula 1 perhaps considers a return to this angle, as the current one is not showing much, especially considering the absence of a clutch pedal.

He does though also believe that there would be drawbacks should the camera return to such a position.

Introducing pedal cam! 🎥👀

Loving your footwork, @LandoNorris! 👣pic.twitter.com/sYceB4w7dp

— McLaren (@McLarenF1) July 1, 2022

“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,” said Norris, quoted by Autosport.

“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.

“I do feel like it should be the other way around. 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. 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.

“I mean, I’m sure maybe there’s a slightly better position to be able to look at things.”

That being said, Norris explained that a lack of room in that area to put a camera is also problematic.

So, he suggested that Formula 1 tries to offer a more side-on view with the camera.

“There’s just not a lot of room in there,” he continued.

“So it’s not easy to mount, and so on. But maybe if they put it a little bit even…