From mclaren.com
To most Formula 1 fans, a mid-race pit stop is a four-second pause in the action, a frantic blur of activity before a driver gets back onto the racetrack. But look closer.
The speed, efficiency and methodology behind each stop require days, weeks and months of detailed preparation and practice.
Thought you knew everything about life in the pits? Think again. Team McLaren chief mechanic, Peter Vale, explains the secret life of the Formula 1 pit stop...
"What a lot of people probably don't realise is that all of the mechanics who build and maintain the cars and garage, are also required to do another job during the race weekend - servicing the car during a pit stop. The tire-change crew alone numbers 17 people, with others assisting with ancillary tasks such as adjusting the front wing or acting as back-ups if somebody gets injured or becomes ill," Vale explained
"This year after the Christmas break, we returned to the factory and started our pre-season indoor pit stop practice sessions, using the previous year's car.
"Throughout January and February, we spent the mornings running through about 20 practice stops. After lunch, we did another 10 or so stops, and after that an additional 15, during which the whole crew changed position so everybody tried a different role to what they had been practicing earlier that day.
"By mixing it up, we were able to get a clearer idea of which guys were suited to which jobs. We saw which groups became consistently quick, who was improving and refining their technique, and we kept detailed records to help us make a quality crew selection.
"Once we had the pit stop crew selected we worked further with the guys to refine the whole operation, analysing how to best solve the various problems that crop up, devising ways to speed up the process, and also looking at how we can modify the design of our tools or the car itself to improve the whole operation."
To most Formula 1 fans, a mid-race pit stop is a four-second pause in the action, a frantic blur of activity before a driver gets back onto the racetrack. But look closer.
The speed, efficiency and methodology behind each stop require days, weeks and months of detailed preparation and practice.
Thought you knew everything about life in the pits? Think again. Team McLaren chief mechanic, Peter Vale, explains the secret life of the Formula 1 pit stop...
"What a lot of people probably don't realise is that all of the mechanics who build and maintain the cars and garage, are also required to do another job during the race weekend - servicing the car during a pit stop. The tire-change crew alone numbers 17 people, with others assisting with ancillary tasks such as adjusting the front wing or acting as back-ups if somebody gets injured or becomes ill," Vale explained
"This year after the Christmas break, we returned to the factory and started our pre-season indoor pit stop practice sessions, using the previous year's car.
"Throughout January and February, we spent the mornings running through about 20 practice stops. After lunch, we did another 10 or so stops, and after that an additional 15, during which the whole crew changed position so everybody tried a different role to what they had been practicing earlier that day.
"By mixing it up, we were able to get a clearer idea of which guys were suited to which jobs. We saw which groups became consistently quick, who was improving and refining their technique, and we kept detailed records to help us make a quality crew selection.
"Once we had the pit stop crew selected we worked further with the guys to refine the whole operation, analysing how to best solve the various problems that crop up, devising ways to speed up the process, and also looking at how we can modify the design of our tools or the car itself to improve the whole operation."