What Happens During a Pit Stop in F1?

F1 pit stops are vital components of Grand Prix races. A single second or even half a second can make a gigantic difference to the final outcome. The pit crew thus has a demanding job ahead of every race. All four tyres here are changed in a mere 2-3 seconds. Anything beyond 2.5 seconds is considered a longer pit stop but something less than 2 seconds can help you move ahead by a few places as well! Here is all you need to know about pit stops.

Number of people in the team

There are 20+ people comprising the F1 crew at the pits. They have responsibility for tyre changes, car stabilization, aerodynamic adjustments, and safe release. Every team comes with its own pit crew for servicing cars throughout the racing weekend. This means that there are 200+ people across the 10 F1 teams who are involved in the proceedings.

Duties of pit crew members

• Tyre Gunner- Operation of the wheel gun for removal and fitting of wheel nuts. There are four crew members here. Every garage has two guns for every wheel in case one suddenly fails. Gunners usually signaled that wheels had been fitted by lifting their hands above tyres earlier. However, they now use electronic signaling systems. Mistakes are made by signaling X and this enlightens the team that the car should not be released or stopped ASAP.
• Tyre Off- There are four crew members who remove the tyres. 10.5 kg tyres are pulled off quickly from cars and drivers should precisely hit their stopping marks to prevent the crew members from re-orienting their positions, thereby increasing the stop time.
• Tyre On- There are four members working to fit fresh tyres onto F1 cars. The pit crew will be told about the tyres to be fitted once the pit stop is called. The tyres should be quickly brought to the box as well.
• Front Jack- This involves two members who will lift up the front of the car, enabling the tyres to be changed. Special equipment is used for the lifting procedure. There are two members involved, i.e. one main and a spare. The spare comes handy if there is a botched pit stop.
• Rear Jack- This procedure involves two people as well. They lift the car from the rear in order to change the tyres. There is a backup jack as well in case of sudden failures.
• Side Jack/Steadier- There are two members who operate side jacks or lift the car from the rear. These members help in steadying the car during a pit stop.
• Front Wing Flap Adjust- Aerodynamic changes are made to the front wing by two members in the pit crew. Any necessary front wing flap adjustments are conveyed to engineers by the driver.
• Lollipop Man- One crew member gives the signal for the car to be released from the pit stop. An electronic system now gets the job done although it does not account for pit lane traffic or other issues. The lollipop man finds the gap which is safe and makes sure that the driver exits safely.

Getting an F1 pit crew job

All members are trained engineers and mechanics performing a diverse range of functions. Studying engineering and getting a degree is the foundation towards becoming a crew member along with watching out for internships, placements or apprenticeships at these teams.

Training of pit crew

Pit crew members have to be physically strong and agile since tyres weigh anywhere up to 11.5 kg and have to be speedily moved around. They spend hours working on their fitness and flexibility alike. They should have mental strength as well. Pit stops are practiced repeatedly at team factories before any team goes out to race. Cars will be pulled into practice boxes for carrying out these pit stops. Racing weekends will have pit crew members practicing once again in pit lanes. Live pit stops are performed for each practice session.

Where can you view pit stops?

Pit stops are exciting to watch and they take place at lightning speed! Most F1 tracks come with their own grandstands just opposite to pit buildings. Fans can thus view the pit lane at the time of stops being performed. The grandstands also help in viewing starting grids and you can take in the race day atmosphere from the beginning itself. Most podiums will also be set up here, giving you a fantastic view of celebrations after the races get over.