How does a current F1 car's clutch work and why can't Hamilton learn it?

Hamilton can't work his clutch at launch. The OP raises a great question.

Hamilton needs a personal trainer and should be practicing this launch technique until he is as proficient as ALL the rest of the drivers. 18-year old Max and the newbies in back markers can do it...everyone can do it except Lewis.

Not being able to launch the clutch properly holds Hamilton back from any discussion of him being the GOAT.

 

Does anyone remember the Benetton launch fron feature in 1994, It was a pretty complex sequence of the paddles to activate it.

 

It seems from the comments by Toto that their clutch system is pretty complicated... granted no excuse that Lew can't manage it, but you would think they'd work towards a more straightforward solution.

 

Matchett said on a recent broadcast that Mercedes IS doing a clutch re-design, so you would like to think it's just not a Hamilton problem.

 

But not this season.

 

The clutch operation is an entirely manual dance the driver must perform in finding balance between throttle and clutch application. Some drivers are undoubtedly better than others at this, such as Senna who I heard was excellent at 'rabbiting' the throttle at a certain point and getting the clutch to bite enough to move the car but not fully engage (to keep from bogging down) until a certain point. It's as much art as science.

 

But that's not how today's F1 clutches operate, is it?

Is today's art about operating an analog control (the paddle), or is it about getting the PIS setting correct? Does anyone here know if the paddle is an on/off switch or an analog control (or more likely a digital-encoded equivalent of a continuous analog control)?

 

Explanation as of last season; not sure if still current:

https://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2015/08/analysis-why-f1-drivers-will-struggle-to-get-it-right-with-new-rules-on-starts/