Pit stop improvement the main focus for Lotus

As the team prepares to head off for China this weekend, we caught up with Lotus Race Team Manager Paul Seaby to find out what the crew have been up to during the break, and where the focus lies for the coming races

What have the race team been up to during the break ?

For the main part they’ve been having a well-earned rest. In Australia we worked right up to every curfew, and while this wasn’t the case in Malaysia there were still some long days in very intense heat. Throw a few long journeys, time difference and jet lag into the mix and this inevitably takes its toll. The crew only had one weekend between returning from winter testing and heading out to Melbourne, so in reality this has been the first real break they’ve had in two months. We’ll be flying out to China in groups between Saturday and Monday refreshed and ready to go at it again.

Has there been much activity here at Enstone ?

On Wednesday the crew came in in for pit stop practice. We had a good, productive day, starting with a briefing to analyse where improvements need to be made before completing about forty practice stops with a running show car. We tried out a new rear jack which proved to be an instant hit, raising the rear of the car a lot quicker. We’re looking for tenths of a second, so any small details like that can make a big difference. Our best stops are down to about 2.4 seconds now and we’re consistently hitting between 2.5 and 2.7 seconds which is not bad at all for a live stop. Performing push stops – where a few of the guys physically push the car into position – can flatter you a bit as it’s easier to get the gun on the nut, so considering that this is as ‘live’ as you can get without being out on track I’m pleased with our progress.

Is there anything else the crew can do to help reduce those times ?

Yes, we have two in-house trainers working with the crew in the gym, predominantly focusing on the muscles and movements required during pit stops. This involves mainly core and a fair bit of arm strengthening work too. There’s a lot of twisting involved in a pit stop and the equipment is quite heavy – in particular the wheel guns –so this can help our guys prepare for the challenge. We’re looking at starting a training programme to be carried out in the hotel rooms during a race weekend too ; it’ll be interesting to see how that goes down with everyone !

Are the cars already on their way to the next race ?

All the important pieces – upgrades and serviced parts – have already been shipped off to ensure they are ready for us when we land in Shanghai. The cars themselves were stripped down to a bare chassis on Sunday night in Malaysia and sent straight on to China. This included dismantling the suspension, removing the engine, detaching and stripping the gearbox, and so on. The service mileage for elements such as the suspension is two races, so in between the first two rounds these will have remained on the car ; save for any damaged components of course. When we arrive, the car will be built back up from a bare chassis, beginning the two race cycle again. So, the cars will fly to Bahrain largely intact before being completely stripped at the end of that weekend. We’ll be at the track from Tuesday lunch time, giving the crew two and a half days to get everything ready.

What’s the main target over the coming races ?

For both myself and the crew, the main priority at the moment is to get our pit stops more competitive and – more importantly – consistent. We want to give the drivers a better chance of keeping up with the cars in front, or preferably further ahead of those behind ! We know we can do it ; it’s just a matter of instilling that confident mind set to allow them to relax and breeze through the stops as second nature. There’s certainly no lack of effort, and we’re sure it will come.

Source: www.lotusf1team.com