Inside a Pit Stop: Two Seconds of Perfect Teamwork

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A top-level pit stop takes about two seconds. In that time, around twenty people change all four tires on a car that arrives at speed and leaves at speed.

Who does what

• Three people per wheel: one on the wheel gun, one pulling the old tire off, one putting the new one on
• Front and rear jack operators lifting the car in a fraction of a second
• Stabilizers holding the car steady
• A release controller giving the signal to go

Practice, practice, practice

Crews rehearse hundreds of stops a week. They study video, measure every movement and shave off hundredths of a second at a time.

When it goes wrong

A wheel nut that doesn’t seat, a jack that slips, a release that comes too early. One small mistake costs seconds, and seconds cost races. That’s why the best crews are treated as part of the driver’s team, not as an afterthought.