n photos: The careful choreography of an F1 weekend with Haas
Over the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, Haas gave ESPN behind-the-scenes access to capture a glimpse of what life is really like inside a Formula 1 team.
The idea was to document — with a camera and a notebook — the vital work that is rarely captured by race weekend broadcasts and is not considered glamorous enough to make the final cut of “Drive to Survive.” What we found was a remarkable team effort, spearheaded by two veteran drivers, but made possible by a workforce of dedicated specialists, including super-intelligent engineers, quick-fingered mechanics and hard-working hospitality staff.
Pit stop practice is a constant through any team’s race weekend. From Thursday afternoon to the Sunday morning before the race, the pit crew (made up of a mix of mechanics from both cars) refine their carefully choreographed tyre changes to a fine art.
Each member of the 20-person crew has a job, including backup rear- and front-jack operators (should the initial jacks used to lift the car fail) and three mechanics per tyre — on, off and gunner. The aim is to get all four tyres changed and make a front wing adjustment, as requested by the driver, as quickly as possible, and perhaps more importantly, as consistently as possible.
During the Thursday of a race weekend, pit stop practice is completed without the car running, meaning it has to be pushed into place by mechanics not on the pit crew, with another member of the team in the cockpit to hit the brakes and stop the car on its marks.
In photos: The careful choreography of an F1 weekend with Haas
Over the Dutch Grand Prix weekend, Haas gave ESPN behind-the-scenes access to capture a glimpse of what life is really like inside a Formula 1 team.
The idea was to document — with a camera and a notebook — the vital work that is rarely captured by race weekend broadcasts and is not considered glamorous enough to make the final cut of “Drive to Survive.” What we found was a remarkable team effort, spearheaded by two veteran drivers, but made possible by a workforce of dedicated specialists, including super-intelligent engineers, quick-fingered mechanics and hard-working hospitality staff.
Pit stop practice is a constant through any team’s race weekend. From Thursday afternoon to the Sunday morning before the race, the pit crew (made up of a mix of mechanics from both cars) refine their carefully choreographed tyre changes to a fine art.
Each member of the 20-person crew has a job, including backup rear- and front-jack operators (should the initial jacks used to lift the car fail) and three mechanics per tyre — on, off and gunner. The aim is to get all four tyres changed and make a front wing adjustment, as requested by the driver, as quickly as possible, and perhaps more importantly, as consistently as possible.
During the Thursday of a race weekend, pit stop practice is completed without the car running, meaning it has to be pushed into place by mechanics not on the pit crew, with another member of the team in the cockpit to hit the brakes and stop the car on its marks.
Each practice stop during the weekend is timed, filmed and reviewed to understand where precious seconds might be leaking away. On Friday morning, Haas’ performance coach and team physiotherapist Faith Atack-Martin leads a pit stop review in the garage, where practice stops are picked apart and screens display data and information on where performance can be improved.
Friday practice represents the first time the crew get to attempt a practice stop on a running car as the drivers return to the pits between runs out on track. All practice stops are designed to replicate race conditions, with the crew in the garage waiting for the call for the car to come in, and then taking the tyres out of the garage and into the pit lane to complete the stop.
The hourlong practice sessions are busy times in the Haas garage. Extreme winds and wet weather on Friday at Zandvoort meant running in the first practice session was limited, which added pressure on the team to get data from the second session.
The practice sessions are a rare opportunity to get photos of the drivers waiting between runs in the cockpit. Tools remain at hand in case changes need to be made to the car during the session, but with time on track at a premium, the focus is on getting the car running and gathering data.
Rain from the North Sea was lashing through the seaside town of Zandvoort on Saturday morning ahead of final practice. The Haas drivers were scheduled for an appearance at the circuit’s fan zone before 10 a.m., and the two drivers caught a shuttle bus from the paddock to take them to a main stage a few minutes’ drive away.
Despite the grim weather, Danish driver Kevin Magnussen arrives at the shuttle bus wearing jeans and a T-shirt, while teammate Nico Hülkenberg has dressed more appropriately in a Haas-branded rain jacket. Commenting on his teammate’s choice of attire, Hülkenberg says, “that’s because he’s a viking.”
Following some small talk about routes into the circuit and various models of Porsche 911, Magnussen says he doubts many fans will have made the trip to the stage to stand and wait in the rain. He couldn’t be more wrong.
Like rock stars returning for an encore, the two drivers walk out to resounding cheers from a soaked crowd. They answer a series of fan questions, varying from their expectations throughout the weekend to what it’s like being “racing dads.”
As the Q&A comes to an end, Haas’ ever-prepared senior communications manager, Jessica Borrell, hands branded caps to the drivers to throw out into the crowd. A few lucky fans get their hands on the free merchandise before the drivers and two very wet photographers pile back into the minibus and head back to the paddock.
After Saturday’s final practice session, both drivers headed straight for a debrief with engineers. The trackside engineering office is temporarily constructed from two trailers that open up and connect to create a wide first-floor working space. In one corner of the temporary structure is the debrief table, where the two drivers sit facing each other with their race, performance and tyre engineers in attendance along with team principal Ayao Komatsu.
Following final practice, Hülkenberg was first to arrive, clearly still frustrated about his crash during the session. The German went straight to his laptop and started analysing data from the incident before his engineer, Gary Gannon, arrived to discuss the incident in greater detail.
Voices remain hushed, with the drivers and each member of the engineering team talking via headsets. It’s usually an entirely private moment between drivers and engineers away from prying eyes, and after a handful of photos, it felt like the right time to leave.
Back at the team’s hospitality unit, coffee is being prepared for guests. Attention to detail is everything in F1, including the preparation of a cappuccino.
When asked whether it’s possible to take a photo of the process, the catering staff collectively nominate Kelsey Subedi as the head barista. The perfectly steamed milk is topped by a dusting of cocoa powder in the shape of the Haas logo.
The hospitality staff regularly work the longest hours in a Formula 1 team. Unlike those working on the car, whose time at the circuit is dictated by the FIA’s curfew rules to stop them working through the night, the hospitality staff are almost always the first to arrive and the last to leave.
About The Author
