Auto123.com spent some time inside the garage of the Force India team during one of the free practice sessions of the Grand Prix of Canada in Montreal.
The first thing that catches the eye when one steps inside the garage of a Formula 1 team – with the exception of the cleanness of the space – is the disposition of the equipment.
All F1 teams basically organise their garages the same way with the two fuel rigs in the middle between the two cars with the piles of tires, the tool cabinets at the rear, the engine technician and the track engineers on each sides. So when you add 20 people in there, the place becomes extremely crowded. It’s hard to be not in the way!
When the car is about to be sent out on the track, the routine is almost military. One mechanic stands beside each wheel (ready to remove the tire warmer), one guy stands behind the rear wing with the starter, another one is in charge of the umbilical cord that connects the car to the computers, two more guys work the jacks while the chief mechanic coordinate everything from the front of the car.
Once the car has exited the garage, the floor is swept and the place is cleared. The mechanics can relax a bit and watch the action on the TV screen or check the timing monitors. Everyone have a headset so when the engineer say that the car is coming in, the crew takes position.
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| Photo: Rene Fagnan/Auto123.com |
The first thing that catches the eye when one steps inside the garage of a Formula 1 team – with the exception of the cleanness of the space – is the disposition of the equipment.
All F1 teams basically organise their garages the same way with the two fuel rigs in the middle between the two cars with the piles of tires, the tool cabinets at the rear, the engine technician and the track engineers on each sides. So when you add 20 people in there, the place becomes extremely crowded. It’s hard to be not in the way!
 |
| Photo: Rene Fagnan/Auto123.com |
When the car is about to be sent out on the track, the routine is almost military. One mechanic stands beside each wheel (ready to remove the tire warmer), one guy stands behind the rear wing with the starter, another one is in charge of the umbilical cord that connects the car to the computers, two more guys work the jacks while the chief mechanic coordinate everything from the front of the car.
Once the car has exited the garage, the floor is swept and the place is cleared. The mechanics can relax a bit and watch the action on the TV screen or check the timing monitors. Everyone have a headset so when the engineer say that the car is coming in, the crew takes position.