How is it like to attend one session inside the garages of a Formula 1 team? Auto123.com was allowed inside the Team Lotus garage during the first free practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix on Friday.
The garages here at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit are much smaller than those of other tracks. It means that the two T128s, the fuel rigs, the piles of new and old tires, tool boxes, equipment, spare parts and twenty something mechanics are confined inside a relative cramped area.
Each crew members has a very specific job to do; that’s the only way to be really efficient.
When Heikki Kovalainen returned to the garage after his installation lap, the rear bodywork catches fire because of the intense heat of the exhausts. The fire extinguishers quickly put out the fire, but the strong smell of burnt carbon fibre instantly filled the garage.
When the Lotus T128 of Jarno Trulli returned after its first run, the mechanics had to change the front wings because Jarno had hit a bird at high speed, and the impact might have damaged the winglet.
There are surprisingly few tools in the garage, much less than what we see in IndyCar or in NASCAR. There’s just one tool cabinet per car. The Renault engine technician has a neat working spot beside each car with a laptop to monitor the engine when it is started.
The garages here at the Gilles Villeneuve circuit are much smaller than those of other tracks. It means that the two T128s, the fuel rigs, the piles of new and old tires, tool boxes, equipment, spare parts and twenty something mechanics are confined inside a relative cramped area.
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| Photo: René Fagnan/Auto123.com |
Each crew members has a very specific job to do; that’s the only way to be really efficient.
When Heikki Kovalainen returned to the garage after his installation lap, the rear bodywork catches fire because of the intense heat of the exhausts. The fire extinguishers quickly put out the fire, but the strong smell of burnt carbon fibre instantly filled the garage.
When the Lotus T128 of Jarno Trulli returned after its first run, the mechanics had to change the front wings because Jarno had hit a bird at high speed, and the impact might have damaged the winglet.
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| Photo: René Fagnan/Auto123.com |
There are surprisingly few tools in the garage, much less than what we see in IndyCar or in NASCAR. There’s just one tool cabinet per car. The Renault engine technician has a neat working spot beside each car with a laptop to monitor the engine when it is started.