There can be few better examples of teamwork than that demonstrated by an F1 Pitstop Team in full flow. Although I have no direct experience, I understand it is possible to arrange a team building activity that attempts to recreate the teamwork and ethos involved. I’m guessing it’s not a budget option! I recently came across this piece by Kenneth Kwan in his blog on F1 Pitstops that gives his insights into what makes it all come together.
1. Clarity of Roles:
Every single person in the technical team knows what their job description is and they execute their task to perfection. The pit stop crew (which involves changing tyres and refuelling) practices about 80 times every race weekend and about 1700 pitstops per season. That means that if your purpose in the team is to clean the visor of the driver, you will be doing that all the way. There is no glamour between different job scopes. There are no individuals, only team players.
2. Speed and Precision:
Each pitstop takes approximately 5-9 seconds. Imagine, with 25 crew working at the same time, they have perfected the art of quick change and not getting in the way of each other. There are a total of 4 wheel men to remove each tyre and it takes only 4 seconds to do it.
3. Everyone listens to each other:
Most people will think that F1 Drivers are the stars of all teams. The person behind him, called the Race Strategist is equally important. He/She decides when to make a pitstop and what strategy to adopt when the race progresses. Even drivers will have to listen and follow the strategist’s plans. A good strategy will put their car right infront of rival cars when they exit the pit lane.
4. Trust among team members:
The Front Jack Man has to stand infront of the incoming F1 car even when it is approaching the pit lane at 80 km/h. He has to trust the skills of the driver to stop right in front of him as he quickly jacks up the car for the rest of the team members to do their jobs.
When teamwork really come together it can be one of the most exhilarating moments of a working life. If your looking to make this happen with your team, Eventus can help.
