Formula 1 garage is a sight to behold, from where the staff and crew support the driver, the backbone of every F1 team in the grid.
The Formula 1 garage is the heart of an F1 team on race day. That is where the bulk of the non-racing takes place on race weekends, let’s dive in to understand the marvel that the F1 garages are.
Are there garage specifications to be followed by F1 teams?
There are no clear-cut specifications to be adhered to, with two general clauses mentioned in the regulations.
Clause 7.5 states the requirements regarding Race Control, Marshal Posts, Pits, Paddock area, Medical Centres, etc.. A pit lane of at least 12 m wide is required with pit garages and race control facilities. Each project planned with collaboration between the circuit and the FIA.
Clause 23.4 states that the FIA will allocate garages to teams in strictly equal terms. The garages can be back-to-back for drivers of a team, or can be separated by other teams.
What does the Formula 1 garage consist of?
The teams have garages with different dimensions & specifications. It also depends on the track where the race is being held. Some circuits have spacious garages, like Austin at the USA, made to suit F1 requirements. But most other circuits are made to accommodate F1 and F2 races.
The ‘garages’ travel with the teams, effectively. All the gear is flown in and assembled by “truckies”, generally on Mondays and Tuesdays. And after the race is done with on Sunday, teams pack it all up and head out the same day or the next.
it’s not often that you see or hear about an F1 driver staying behind in the garage after a race day to help the mechanics dismantle their car when they could have just left them to it and gone back to their hotel room to sleep. pic.twitter.com/f8vmnjilKS
— ℎ ❁ (@mCHLOren_) July 20, 2020
The teams carry their own boxes, which contain everything from electronics to hydraulics. A row of monitors is stacked on one data, where all the data crunching happens. And yes, loads of Pirelli tyres are present on the garages.
Also read: Mugello Track Record: Who helds the lap record at the Italian circuit making its debut in Formula 1?
Generally, space is also provided for the engine supplier i.e. a Mercedes room in the Racing Point and Williams garages. They help with information regarding the Power Units, the heart of the F1 cars.
