Team
Application
PDF
click pdf for
application
The
number one thing
everyone wants
to know is how
much experience
do you have. The
next questions
are: do you have
good references,
can you work well
with a team, can
you work under
pressure, what
do you do when
something goes
wrong, how long
will it take for
you to make a
contribution can
you work well
under pressure
and can you work
in a fast paced
environment. We
need people to
maintain the car,
integrate the
technology and
information into
a usable data
base, help with
he Kart racing
learning how to
read and translate
data to take develop
faster kart's.
plus much much
more!Below is
a sample of what
a pit crew does
for a large Formula
one team Pit stop.
The job in the
pits is one of
the most pressured
in the world of
Formula One. Pit
stops have become
more and more
important over
the last years.
Since overtaking
moves are rarer
than ever, pit
stops have become
the prime opportunities
to gain places.
A pit stop, though,
is never as easy
as it looks. For
seven seconds,
if all goes well,
the drivers' changes
in the race are
in the hands of
his pit crew.
Pit stop guide
Step 1
The driver enters
the pit lane at
full speed but
brings the speed
down to the pit
lane speed limit
of 80km/h (60km/h
in a very tight
pit lane, like
in Monaco). As
he crosses the
pit lane line,
he engages a pit
lane speed limiter
that electronically
prevents the car
from accelerating
above the speed
limit. Selecting
the limiter, the
fuel filler flap
automatically
pops open. The
driver has to
stop exactly on
the marks painted
on the pit lane
so the mechanics
lose no time repositioning
themselves. When
the car stands
still, the driver
sets it in neutral
and keeps his
foot on the brake
so that the wheels
don't turn as
the wheel nuts
are spun loose.
Step 2
The car is lifted
up onto its jacks
as the mechanics
remove the wheels
and the fuel hose
is attached.
Step 3
As the fuel is
going in, new
wheels are attached
and the mechanics
raise their arms
in the air to
show they have
finished.
Step 4
As all the four
wheels have been
changed, the car
is lowered to
the ground and
the last fuel
is pumped in.
The driver is
shown a board
(the lollipop)
telling him to
engage first gear.
Step 5
The fuel hose
is detached and
the car is ready
to go.
Step 6
The driver is
waved away by
the lollipop man.
As the car is
leaving the pits,
the fuel flap
automatically
closes if the
driver again pushes
the speed limiter
button.
These six steps
may seem easy
but need to be
executed in only
7 seconds.
Pit crew and their
duties
Lollipop man
The first job
of the lollipop
man is to guide
the incoming car
to the exact stopping
point by lowering
the 'lollipop'
to a stop position
right in front
of the driver's
helmet. When the
four wheels have
been changed,
the lollipop man
has to signal
the driver to
engage first gear.
The lollipop man
can only lift
the lollipop if
he's sure that
all the four wheels
have been attached,
the refueling
is completed and
there isn't another
car to be in the
driver's path.
Front Jack
The front jack
operator raises
the car as soon
as he's sure the
car is in the
right position
to allow the fuel
nozzle in. If
there has been
an accident and
the nose section
needs changing,
it is his job
to remove the
broken one.
The jack, the
front jack operator
uses to lift the
car into the air,
is made from steel
tubing and has
a quick-release
button to bring
the car back down.
Because the teams
have different
nose cones giving
different aerodynamic
characteristics,
they need to have
specific jacks
to suit them.
Rear Jack
The rear jack
man has to wait
until the car
has passed him
before getting
into position.
He then places
his jack beneath
the car and raises
the rear of the
car.
Wheel changing
crew
Each wheel has
two to three crew
members. One operates
the compressed
air-driven gun
that removes the
single, central
retaining nut.
Then one of the
other mechanics
removes the old
wheel and one
fits the new one.
The gun man then
re-attaches the
nut and tightens
it to around 500
lb/ft (pounds
per foot).
Refueled
The refueled is
supported by two
other crew members.
He has to lift
a heavy nozzle
over his shoulder
and get it into
the tank the moment
the car arrives.
The refueled handles
the hose itself
and another crew
member presses
on the 'dead man's
handle' which
has to be kept
down in order
to fuel the flow.
As soon as the
handle is released,
the fuel stops
flowing.
The rig delivers
12 liters of high-octane
fuel a second.
The rig is standardized
and provided by
the governing
body, the FIA,
to the teams who
are not allowed
to modify it in
any way. Attached
either to the
hose or to the
refuellers' helmets
are indicators
showing when the
fuel is flowing
and when the process
is completed.
As soon as these
indicators tell
the refuellers
that the car is
full-up, they
release the latch
that holds the
nozzle to the
filler and then
use a second handle
to release the
nozzle from a
connector on the
car. Overseeing
the whole operation
are two crew members,
each with a 60-liter
fire extinguisher.
Larger capacity
fire hoses are
at hand in the
garage. An additional
safety feature
on the fuel rig
are earthing strips
that are wired
to the refueling
rigs and reduce
the chances of
static electricity
discharging —
highly undesirable
with all that
fuel around.
Extra crew members
Extra crew members
are placed at
the side pod entrance
to reach in and
remove debris
from the radiators
to prevent overheating
and engine failure.
There may also
be a crew member
to clean the drivers
visor during the
pit stop.
Interview with
Renault’s Chief
Mechanic, Gavin
Hudson
What is exactly
your job during
a pit stop?
"I look after
the lollipop which
is basically the
car control. During
a pit stop I have
to make sure that
the wheels are
all changed, the
tyres and that
the fuel is done
and make sure
the front jackman
is out of the
way before I let
the car go."
So it's a lot
of pressure for
you because you
have to manage
lots of things...
"There are
lots of things
to look at in
just 6 seconds,
yes."
What are the
main tricks to
do a quick pit
stop?
"It's just
that everything
has to go smoothly
and basically,
for the wheels
to be changed
properly the nozzle
to go on quickly
and come off quickly.
And just make
sure the track
is clear when
you let the car
go."
How many times
to you practice
during a GP weekend?
"We will
probably practice
25 times on Friday
morning and practice
again on Sunday
morning to do
another 20-30
practices and
then we do that
at every race."
What kind of
practice do you
make?
"We practice
almost every scenario
that may happen
during the race.
We do standard
refueling/tyres,
we do nose changes,
we will practice
the rig failing
when the refueling
rig is having
a problem, we
practice if we
have a problem
with the clutch
and we have to
drop the car down
onto the ground,
if we have to
lift the car up
in the air, we
practice all the
sorts of things
that could possibly
happen during
the race."
Do you also practice
with the drivers
to make sure they
know what to do
during the race?
"Yes sometimes
we do. I mean
they will do that
during the session
on Friday and
they will do it
again during the
free practice
session on Saturday.
We do stops just
to make sure they
know where to
stop in the box
and stuff like
that.
What are the
main risks that
may happen during
a pit stop
"The main
risk is when the
nozzle has been
left and you are
not disconnected.
You can also have
a fire if there
is a problem with
the nozzle, you
can have stuck
wheel. There are
many different
things that can
happen so we just
hope that nothing
goes wrong."
Pit crew clothing
The clothes of
the pit crew are
very much like
the outfit of
the drivers. All
the pit crew members
wear a balaclava
and a helmet.
They also wear
a suit made of
lightweight Nomex
fibre to protect
them from fire.
Danger of a pit
stop
A pit stop is
not without danger.
It wouldn't be
the first time
that a car caughts
fire while being
in the pits. The
job of front jack
operator isn't
without danger
as well, as the
car is approaching
the crew at 50km/h.
Being part of
the pit crew is
one of the most
exciting parts
of a race team.
It is also potentially
one of the most
hazardous. The
mechanics get
no danger money
and it’s almost
impossible for
them to find life
insurance. Yet
few would swap
their job in the
pit lane for anything
else.