Pitlane Access Safety Gate Loose Wheel Thingy

[ZakspeedYakspeed]

The solution is simple ...

Pirelli announce tyres from Italy to last entire race

http://www.pirelli.com/stupidfrikkintyres/italyupdate/nomorepitstops

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

I like Gary Anderson's idea to halve the number of people allowed to work around the car during a race. I knew it was a lot, but I didn't realise that at the moment it's about 20!

They [pit stops] have got so fast - the top teams are routinely changing four wheels in 2.5 seconds - that it has gone too far. They are lovely to watch, but you can't see what's going on.

I would suggest reducing the number of people allowed to work on the pit stop to two on each wheel, a front and rear jack, and the 'lollipop' man who controls the driver. That would be 10 people who touch the car, plus one.
At the moment, there are about 20 - three on each wheel, two jacks, two spare jacks, two car steadiers and two pit-lane watchers.

In Webber's stop, the lollipop man could not see what was going on with the right rear wheel. He thought it was on; it looked on. If there were fewer people, there would be less confusion. Do that, and the pit stop would take in the region of four seconds, which is still fast, but enough time to react to problems. In 2.5 secs it is difficult to make decisions based on what you see, as opposed to what you think you're seeing.

 

[Jen]

I watch all this bollocks and just know it was sooo much easier years ago.

F1 can be a dangerous sport and you can not regulate for every possibility and whrereas I feel for the guy in question and do not wish for anyone's injury or death, I do think we have to be realistic.

If you take the car out of the equation, then all dangerous aspects tend to disappear - except for the silly sod that plummets to his death from a-now-defunct motorhome.

 

[KekeTheKing]

The FIA continually shows they are utterly and completely clueless. The Speed Limit was clearly not the issue. I'm at a loss to understand why they felt it needed to be addressed. Will Buxton hit the nail on the head with his comments. FIA, GO AWAY!!!

The speed with which teams change their tires should be slowed down, not the cars in the pit lane. Gary Anderson is spot on. Reduce the number of pit crew, and you will automatically see slower and safer stops. With basically every team in the 2-3 second range now, there is only miniscule amounts of time to gain in the pit lane, especially when you consider that multiple seconds can be gained on the circuit now depending on one's tire condition.

 

[Jen]

How about a mandatory standing 5 second pit stop? That should cut out all the danger, some of the shenanigans and the need for any startegy.

 

[KekeTheKing]

No. Teams should be able to gain/lose time in the pits. I see no reason to institute a mandatory period of time where they're stationary.

 

[Jen]

Christ, you're hard work KekeTheKing.

Your previous post suggested that you wanted slower pitstops with little effect, Now you say they can gain or lose time! Which is it please?

 

[KekeTheKing]

There should never be a MANDATORY stop time. And by gain/lose I meant relative to the other teams. I don't really care how long it takes to change tires, as long as teams are battling against each other.

And I'll cede to Gary Anderson who I agree with here. Less personnel = Slower, yet safer stops.

 

[Jen]

Aah, the 'relative' word - so which team is more relative than the other? Do the teams know their relative order; how would they judge if they are going too fast and if they are 'battling' do they really give a stuff.

Fewer personnel, safer pitstops - maybe, or you just could end up with a smaller bunch of incompetents.

 

[KekeTheKing]

You've sorely misunderstood the term "relative". It has nothing to do with "order".

Once again, I said gain/lose time relative to their competition. That means that if Team A turns their car around in 4.2, and team B in 3.5, then Team B has gained 7 tenths in the stop.

An arbitrary period of time where they're stationary would likely end pit crew battles entirely. I don't want to see that.

 

[Mephistopheles]

Maybe they should get Kwik fit to do the stops the driver could have a cuppa, while he waits, hang this is F1 isn't it....?

 

[The Pits]

I agree with Gary Anderson.

 

[Jen]

I never misunderstand the English language - you introduced the expression and I applied it as an adjective to 'order'.

So, one would assume that you still sponsor competitive and non-mandatory pitstops - basically, status quo then?

 

[KekeTheKing]

But of course the FIA acted in a typically impetuous manner without any real thought to the cause and effect of the incident.

edit -
Jen

status quo then?

Pretty much. Although I've said several times that GA's ideas are far more sensible than anything the FIA has recently instituted.

And you clearly did misunderstand what I was saying. It had nothing to do with the relative order of the teams, which is entirely subjective of course.

 

[Jen]

Indeed, but that isn't part of our discussion, is it?

 

[KekeTheKing]

I was replying to The Pits, Jen. I've just replied to you above.

 

[Jen]

Don't you just hate it when posts are changed after you have answered! He ho

 

[KekeTheKing]

Changed? Yes.

Edited with additional info? No.

 

[Jen]

OK, a minor hiccough,

If Gary Anderson is right about reducing team numbers at pitstops, how do they (the teams) assume that it will make any difference - a big team of numpties or a small team of numpties? Yes, I know that is being dismissive and these guys are trained to distraction but who can actually say that the team size will make a jot of difference

 

[Road of Bones]

Actually, when you think about it, the ban on pitlane media will have a noticeable effect on our current viewing - no longer will we be able to see the crucial moment when a mechanic fumbles a wheel change and ruins the entire weekend for some unlucky driver, or when the lollipop man errantly releases his charge into the path of another - and because there will be no pictures for the commentators to look at while we watch Vettel drone monotonously away in the lead, they won't be able to enlighten us either. We'll have to rely on Ted on the prat perch with a set of binoculars to tell us what's going on (if he's allowed to sit there).

However, if they adopted Gary Anderson's eminently sensible suggestion of 2 men per corner, then at least TK stands a decent chance of actually being able to see what's going on.

I expect we'll still get the occasional overhead view from the pitlane wire cam, but that doesn't allow us to see multiple stops at once.

I hate this sort of management reaction - rather than sit down and figure out how to fix the problem, they just say "right - you can't do it anymore, and that's our final word on the matter - if you don't like it, you can go without tea and spend all night in your room..."