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Chief mechanic Andy Deeming explains the procedures the team will follow before the start of a standard race time start:
11:20
Myself, the engineers and drivers will sit together for a final race strategy meeting. We’ll finalise what tyres both drivers will start on, when the pit stop windows will be, fuel loads and also review the weather for the next three hours, checking if we need to be ready to change from wet to dry or vice versa. The meeting is usually about ten to 20 minutes; it doesn’t need to be longer as we want the decisions, not a debate.
12:00
The drivers will have a light lunch before the start of the race. Usually they will have something simple like pasta or rice as it’s easy to digest and gives an energy store. The team will usually eat around the same time.
12:30
Drivers parade. At each race, all drivers are required to go out on track to greet the fans. Normally this involves them being on the back of a low-loader lorry and being driven at slow speed round the entire track, waving at the fans. The atmosphere is usually very good – most of the fans have been in the stands for hours and haven’t seen the drivers until this point.
12:45
All mechanics working on the car in the garage and on the grid will get changed into their crew suits and fireproof underwear.
The trolleys taken to the grid are also prepared by the truckies. Force India has one trolley per car that can be pulled or pushed up the pit lane. It needs to be very smooth – there’s a lot of equipment on there and when the guys bring it back from the grid they will be running to make it back to the garage in time. Each trolley will be loaded with two sets of tyres; the set the driver will start on, and a spare set. If rain looks likely we’ll take a wet weather tyre on another trolley. There will also lots of other items including a generator, a dry ice box and ice, fire extinguisher, air bottle, regulator, hoses and consumables like brake fluid, brake cleaner, wheel nuts and umbrellas.
13:05
Our chief engineer Dominic Harlow will gather everyone in the garage together for a briefing on the race strategy. Straight after the meeting the grid trolleys will be taken by two people each up to the grid.
13:20
The driver, who will be changed into his overalls and boots by this point, will come into the garage to put on his helmet and gloves. Once he’s changed into these he’ll get into the car and be strapped in with the seatbelts. The pit lane opens at 13:30, so we like to be ready to go on the green light if we need to. We’ll do radio checks between the engineer and the driver and then the pit crews to make sure everyone can hear.
13:30 – 13:45
Pit lane opens. Any time from now until 13:45 when the pit lane closes, both cars will leave the garage. At most races each driver will drive round the track, coming through the pit lane once before driving to the rear of the grid.
When the driver gets to the rear of the grid, he must cut the engine. Two mechanics will meet each car and then push it into its grid slot. Once in position the car will be put onto short stands, raising the car around five inches from the ground. The tyres will be removed and wrapped up again in blankets. The car will be reconnected to the umbilical and the radiator inlets cleaned before the cooling fans are put in. Each fan will be filled with dry ice to keep the car cool – in some races like Malaysia and Bahrain where the temperatures can be very high, leaving the car sitting on the grid can cause it to overheat.
Truckies carrying tyre warmer blankets will also arrive at the grid.
13:45 – 13:50
We’ll fire up the engine of each car to check there’s no problems.
13:50
The driver will get in the car, we’ll check the spare tyres and double check the race starts. Each driver will do a radio check, connect his drinks supply and secure his ear pieces. The bodywork will be firmly secured.
13:55 – 13:57
All tyres must be fitted to the car. 13:57 is the latest they can be fitted before the generator power is cut, the tyre blankets disconnected and the grid trolley leaves the grid to go back to the garage.
13:59
The tyre blankets are removed, the engine started and the car lowered to the ground.
13:59 and 30 seconds
All personnel working on the car have to be clear of the car and standing behind the white lines at the side of the grid. Back in the garage, there’s a small team of people ready and waiting in case there’s some sort of problem, or weather change, on the formation lap.
14:00
The cars will leave the grid for the formation lap. Once every car is clear of the grid, the mechanics will run back into the pit lane and back to our garage. When we get back to the garage, we put our balaclavas and helmets, watch the start and then deal with what comes next…
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