F1 pit crew train like top sportsmen to change tyres in record time
The ferociously determined mechanics at Red Bull are charging head long into a grueling fitness regime to help them shave vital seconds off changing tyres.
With the ban on refueling, the length of time spent in the pit stops having all four tyres changed will be a massive factor in deciding the outcome of the 2010 Formula One World Championship, which starts a week today in Bahrain.
So Red Bull’s 18-man pit crew are making a 60 mile journey to the Bisham Abbey facilities in Buckinghamshire, also used by England’s football and rugby teams, to get in top shape for the coming season.
And the plan is paying off, with the Milton Keynes outfit stripping their time for changing all four tyres to a lightning 1.8 seconds, according to a report in the Sunday Mirror.
Red Bull boss Christian Horner said: “The guys have trained like hell over the winter. Bisham Abbey has proved great.
“We have even changed the crew around quite a lot to get the right guys in the right place because some are better than others at using the gun or changing tyres.
“They have all lost weight and got fitter in the process. The guys have been training in the gym at 12 and 4pm every day since November.
“We have done sub-two second stops. They are absolutely lightning.
“We’ve always been fast but now there’s been a lot more of a scientific approach to the whole issue.”
Alex Kapadia, Operations Team
Number: Z8037079
Reg: NKF419
