CAREER PATH: BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE F1 PIT CREW Formula One is a high-intensity, adrenaline-fueled motorsport, both for the participa...
CAREER PATH: BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE F1 PIT CREW
Formula One is a high-intensity, adrenaline-fueled motorsport, both for the participants and the spectators. However, drivers require the backing of a committed pit crew in order to win their races. During these races, these pit crew members—there are normally twenty per team—must be at the top of their game. A job on the F1 pit crew may be for you if it sounds thrilling to you.
Education and experience are two of the most important criteria when choosing a career. You must possess a strong foundation in automotive expertise and successfully finish a pit crew training course in order to join the Formula One pit crew. It's essential to get active in local racing and acquire the necessary expertise to complement your schooling.
This article is for you if you're considering a career in the Formula One pit crew. We'll examine the pit crew, the specific duties of the various members, and how you can join them.
What Do Pit Crew Members in Formula One Do?
The majority of people frequently focus on the drivers while thinking about Formula One. But without the assistance of their committed pit crew members, these drivers couldn't have won the Grand Prix. These pit crew members play an important part in ensuring that these Formula One drivers can resume their respective races as soon as feasible.
Those who are familiar with Formula One know that since 2010, drivers have not been permitted to refuel in the middle of a race. Each car in a Formula One race starts the race with a full tank of petrol to get them through the race. This rule was put in place to reduce expenses and improve safety for all parties involved, including pit crew members and drivers.
The roles played by the pit crew have slightly changed over the past ten years to fit this new refueling guideline as a result of this change in F1 regulations. What does the pit crew now do during a 2021 F1 race because a driver's tank does not need to be refilled during the course of the race?
The driver's vehicle needs to be serviced as soon as feasible, is a general overview of each pit crew's duties. Multiple people are required in each pit crew to provide these tasks due to the time limits. They frequently play the job of changing tires during a race so the driver may get back on the winning track, both literally and figuratively speaking.
Even though changing tires might not sound like the most glamorous chore in the world, many people will be shocked and amazed by the turnaround times for these services. In 2019, Red Bull broke their own pit stop record, which stood at a shocking 1.82 seconds for a stop made on the 21st lap of a total of 71 laps. Below is a fantastic pit stop.
Red Bull had previously set a record for a pit stop of 1.88 seconds, which was achieved during the 2019 season. In fact, during that season Red Bull made three faster pitstops than the previous record holder. This achievement is a credit to the pit crew members who play a crucial part in the F1 squad, despite the fact that Formula One drivers typically receive the majority of the attention.
Pit crew members must work swiftly as a part of these teams, yet the quality of these services is still a major concern. After all, for the appropriate F1 driver, the quality of the service—as well as the length of the pit stop, of course—can be extremely important in determining the result of the race.
The length of a pit stop ultimately relies on the work that must be done or changed in order for the driver to effectively continue the race. A pit stop could last anywhere from two to seven seconds, and frequently longer, due to these factors. These pit stops procedures, however, have evolved through time, and their turnaround time has decreased.
Issues with a wheel nut or perhaps a front wide-angle that needs to be modified to fix problems with over or understeering are factors that could lengthen the time it takes to complete a pit stop. It will also be necessary to clean any areas of the racer's vehicle where dirt and debris have accumulated. The length of a pit stop can be prolonged by a variety of circumstances, including these.
The pit crew must ultimately be composed of committed and skilled personnel that can function as a team in the hectic Formula One scene and assist their drivers as well as possible to get them to the finish line. Read on to learn more about the members of the F1 pit crew and their many responsibilities!
Crew Chief
The general management of the pit crew is one aspect that hasn't changed. A Crew Chief, who is also the highest-paid member of the Formula One pit crew, serves as the team's leader. The squad members who will make up their F1 pit crew must be selected by the Crew Chief. Let's examine the team members that the Crew Chief is responsible for.
Refueling
Vehicle refueling will be handled by one member of the pit crew. This is no longer done during races, though, as a result of regulatory reforms. This crew member had to be able to refuel vehicles at an estimated pace of 12 liters of fuel per second prior to 2010, when the changes to F1 races went into effect.
Tire replacement
One of the most crucial elements of Formula One pit stops is tire changing. Four crew members make up each pit crew, and their job is to change tires throughout a race. There is an additional team of eight tire carriers available to support these four crew members.
The four tire changers are mostly in charge of conducting tire changes on these vehicles throughout a race, but the tire carriers help them remove the old tires and then put on the new ones.
Jack Men
Two crew members will serve as "jack guys," who elevate the car with a lever and then level it so that the driver can continue the race. Additionally, there are two stabilizers on the crew who are in charge of centering the vehicle as well as stabilizing it from the right and left sides.
Word Men
Adjusting the front wing angles of the racer's vehicle is the responsibility of the wing guys on the crew team. A member who is in charge of putting out any fires that start is added to the pit crew to round out the team. A comprehensive Formula One pit crew is made up of all the jobs mentioned above.
How Do They All Work Together?
Not all of the crew members can work at once, despite the fact that each of these tasks is essential to getting the driver to the finish line safely and effectively. After all, there can be up to twenty participants, and the average length of a pit stop is less than ten seconds.
In order to reach the pit lane and approach the garage, a normal Formula One car will take about ten seconds. The driver then makes sure the vehicle is in neutral and maintains foot pressure on the brake. After that, the pit crew can start working on the car.
Air cannons are used to loosen the vehicle's wheel bolts within the first second. In the meantime, the jack men use their jacks to lift the car off the ground from the front and back of it.
The number of pit crew members permitted to work on a vehicle at a time during a pitstop is regulated by Formula One due to the strict time limits associated with pit stops. Only five crew members are currently permitted to jump over the wall at one time.
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