Need an advice in how to use the F1 gearbox correctly

The 360 Owner's Manual is a great read to learn proper F1 driving. In summary, when the brake is applied you're not burning clutch so paddling to neutral may be considered a driver preference. If you stay there long enough the car will most likely shift into neutral. I find the quick stop situations better for going into neutral or short downhills so to avoid a few downshifts. Just remember to shift into 1st when in neutral before you take your foot off the brake.

As long as you're not driving the parking ramps in reverse, don't be too concerned. The stop 'n go traffic after the garage will give you more of a headache.

 

I don't do any of the above. I never put the car in neutral unless I am going to park and I always downshift (along with applying the brakes) to reduce speed, same way you would do in a manual car. To be honest I hardly ever use the Auto as the F1 manual is so much fun

Auto doesn't rev very high, the car is too quiet and it becomes a bit more lazy ... Not as sharp as I like.

But this is just me ... This is how I like to drive my car ... I might be doing everything wrong ... But I drive the car to enjoy it and this is what gives me the most enjoyment.

 

For a 599, you really don't need to worry about any of this. I put mine in neutral sometimes to coast to a stop, but I never bother with it when I'm stopped (unless I forgot to put it in gear after coasting).

I use automatic mode in low speed situations, like parking garages or congested urban traffic. Works fine.

As for downshifting, it really doesn't matter. I tend to do it myself because it's fun, but I don't think it makes any difference.

 

No, just be sure to keep your foot on the brake and off the gas pedal. (That may sound obvious, but when driving two pedal cars, usually automatics, I always brake with my left foot in order to reduce braking times, but my right foot is resting on the accelerator ready to go).

No, as long as you are moving. If you try to use the accelerator to hold the car stationary rather than getting off the gas pedal and using the brake, you will put wear on the clutch.

You are always better off to do it manually at all times. I never use the auto mode. When I am in a higher gear and I know I will be coming to a full stop, I will click both paddles and put the car in neutral. I figure it is much cheaper to replace brake pads than a clutch.

 

Best advice for maximum enjoyment is to just drive her like a three pedal car with the left pedal missing. If you are a coast to a stop in neutral guy with three pedals, do that with F1. If you like to downshift all the way to first for stops with three pedals, do that with F1. Mine never makes automatic downshifts for me when coming to a stop or slowing, I either select neutral or downshift myself with the paddles. Just like a 3 pedal.

Ferraris have constant contact throw-out bearings, so putting it in neutral while stopped will not extend T/O bearing life, like it will on three pedal cars. Any time you are stopped with F1, the clutch is open (as if the non-existent clutch pedal was depressed), in neutral or in 1st gear.

Your old 360 had a very high reverse gear, nearly as high as 2nd, so reversing was very rough on the clutch (same for my 575M). The 599 has a much lower reverse, close to 1st gear ratio, so reversing in a 599 is not rough on the clutch. Plus that dual plate clutch, shared with the 612 OTO, is tough as nails, so should last a long time.

 

Great advice Taz. what about stop start traffic on a incline? I've been using left foot to hold the brake and accelarate to avoid rolling back. Is that correct?

 

In each my 360 and 430 spiders, I pushed AUTO once to see if it actually worked, but that was it. Lately however, I've actually had need now and again to use auto in the 612 for safety reasons. That got me experimenting with it a bit. I don't like using it, but I was interested in how the computer would shift, when and at what RPM's and under what loads. I swear I can feel some tentativeness in the shifting, like the car is protecting itself in case the driver does something stupid while shifting. It feels like it's letting the clutch back in more slowly which I really don't like. It still shows SPORT when I'm feeling this. Anyway, just my latest musings on the F1. But as others have said, there's really no need to let the car do it for you. On downshifts, I like to get close to 1k and double downshift. The F1 allows double tapping downshifts readily where not quite so quickly upshifts it seems. Getting down near 1k and double downshifting into turns is pleasant. I'll do this upshifting as well if I'm at high RPM but at the speed limit and just need to get to cruising RPM. I almost always drop to neutral coasting up to stop lights, but if I'm enjoying driving not just getting somewhere, I'll downshift manually to hear the exhaust more, get a more visceral drive out of her, but still often two notches at a time. Just my way anyway. The OTO surely feels different, probably behaves differently. Should mention I have an '05.

 

DC- That or heel and toe both work fine. Or just be quick on the throttle so there is not much, if any, roll back. Unless you live in San Francisco or the mountains.

 

My advice it for everyday driving;

Drive it like a 3 pedal car.

Simply take off in first. When getting ready to upshift to second, Take your foot momentarily off the throttle and change to second and so on all the way up the gears.

When coming to a stop from fifth, you can drop her into neutral if you are not doing a crazy speed and slow down with the brakes.

Both the above will give you maximum life.

For fast drive;
In race mode floor the throttle and keep plucking gears until you get to sixth.

The clutch will not last as long....

 

The following are direct quotes from my 612 owners manual-

On downhill stretches, if you allow the vehicle to move forward in “N”, when “UP” is requested, the system will engage a gear in relation to the vehicle speed.

In any case, it is best to:
• Shift gears without releasing the accelerator pedal.
• Wait until gearshifting has been completed before requesting the next
shift, avoiding a rapid sequence of multiple requests.

 

I disagree with avoiding a rapid sequence, at least on downshifts. You can downshift quickly enough that it's obvious you're not taking anything off the clutch. Up shifts I'm in agreement.

And reengaging from N while rolling can be rough depending on the load, you can get good bump that way. Not ideal. Maybe your OTO's handle it better, but I avoid this in my '05.

 

Yes, I have downshifted very rapidly with no problem. I think the F1 shifts so fast that it's hard to get ahead of it.

I have had a couple occasions where I was at speed in neutral and clicked the up shift paddle and the transmission seamlessly engaged the appropriate gear for the car's speed. When it gets a little tricky is when you are almost at a stop. The car isn't going fast enough to automatically select first gear and flashes the warning to depress the brake pedal. So what I do now is if I don't think I will have to come to a full stop, I'll engage 1st gear while still moving.

 

I get a pretty good bump when I do that, but our trannys are significantly different, yours the more similar to the OP's. I hate having to reengage before stopping for that reason, regret dropping to N every time it happens.

 

I run into this issue once in a while myself.

I think the advice about driving it like a three pedal car is good.

In auto mode, at least in the OTO (and 599, I think), you can almost make it shift with your foot by accelerating to 2500-3000rpm or so, and lifting. It will then upshift smoothly into the next gear.

The big gotcha in auto mode, in my experience, is the kickdown. If you are chugging along in third or fourth at 30mph (which is what the auto mode wants to do) and you floor it, it will drop down a couple of gears and the torque can really take you by surprise.

 

Bob, I didn't realize there was a difference in the F1 gearbox from '05 to '08 OTO, and I guess the same can hold true for the 599's.

The only time I've had the car in auto mode was when I let my wife drive it briefly. I was too anxious to actually pay attention to how the car was shifting.

 

The OTOs and 60 Sessantas have the 599 transaxle case, but the gearbox internals are essentially the same as earlier 612s. The big differences between the two are that the later cars have the 599's Superfast F1 system, with much improved algorithms, especially for Auto, and they have the 599's really tough dual plate clutch.

All the 599s have the Superfast F1 system.

 

Ah ha! Good info. I do have the F1-S button on my center console.

 

Rub it in, why doncha

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk

 

Paul- That gives you quicker (F1- Superfast) shifting, regardless of where the Manettino is set. Minimum is 100 ms unless you have HGT2, in which case it is ~85 ms, before the HGTE even came out with 85 ms shifting. On early 612s F1A min is 180 ms normal, ~160 ms with HGTC/S.