Ferrari’s Technological Innovations Part 15: The Revolutionary Electro-Hydraulic Gearbox in Formula 1

In the racing world, there are legends and facts. Often, legends prevail, convincing us that a certain innovation is tied to a specific person and historic moment, like Nigel Mansell’s victory in the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix with the Ferrari 640 F1 equipped with the revolutionary electro-hydraulic gearbox (the one operated via paddle shifters and without a clutch pedal). This gearbox, now used by all single-seaters and an increasing number of road cars, was neither an idea nor a creation of Barnard. The ingenious English designer made one crucial decision: to build a single-seater that could not be reverted to the old manual system in case of issues.