Red Bull has not only had an impressive and dominant run with Max Verstappen on the track but held fort multiple times in the pitlane. Every time a Red Bull car rolls into the pitlane, it is guaranteed to have a flawless and quick pitstop- aiding the drivers’ chances of fighting for the win. At the Hungarian GP, the team set an impeccable pitstop time of 1.9 seconds, and while impressive, it has its consequences.
The team’s Senior PU Assembly technician and pitstop magician, Calum Nicholas has become a fan-favorite after his regular TV appearances in the garage and his clips on Drive to Survive. A part of the synchronized ballet of performing a pitstop, the engineer has seen it all.
From the record-holding 1.8-second stop to the fastest stop of the 2023 season in Hungary, it is no easy task. The Milton Keynes squad has an impressive 22 sub-two-second stops to their name, while the remaining 9 teams have a measly total of five. That is 81% of pitstops done in less than two seconds. Dominant is the only word that can be used to describe this team.
However, to consistently deliver at such a high level, takes its toll on the body. The engineer recently revealed how being the best often comes at a price.
Red Bull pitstop engineer opens up on physical effects
F1 tires weigh a heavy 20-25 pounds. To remove the bolts, remove and replace them and put them back in place within a blink of an eye is no mean feat. Fans were rightly stunned at the 1.9-second stop in Hungary as Nicholas remained humble.
Explaining the stop, he stated, “Practice. Sometimes it all comes together just right. It was nice. Always proud of the good ones but you only learn from the ones that ain’t perfect. Gotta just keep working to get better. Glad you enjoyed it.”
However, it is not always that simple. When asked about how physically taxing the job could be, practice just isn’t enough. Sharing an image of his arm all wrapped up, Nicholas commented, “It does take its toll over the course of the year. My body is looking forward to the summer shutdown.”
Being a part of F1 glory within 1.82 seconds
Last season, Nicholas sat down with the Pitstop podcast to discuss his stellar career at Red Bull. Starting off as an engineer on Daniel Ricciardo’s side of the garage to winning world championships with Max Verstappen, it has been quite the journey.
Reflecting on setting the world record, he was the man entrusted with the left front wheel of Verstappen’s car. Reflecting on the feeling of that pitstop, he revealed, “You didn’t actually know if it was a world record until we were done packing up around that time. We knew it was fast. We knew it was quick. You feel it.”
Contributing to greatness, it would be impossible for Red Bull to achieve what they have without this crew. Deserving a much larger spotlight, without the pit crew, those Red Bull showers would be less frequent.
