Stewart-Haas Racing recently put out a video titled Mentor & Mentee, which saw Tony Stewart deliver some advice on how to communicate with a crew chief as a driver to be on the same page before, during, and after the race.
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Speaking to SHR driver Chase Briscoe, the three-time Cup Series champion said, “I think it’s a lot like a marriage. Because no matter how it’s going during that race, for the time that you’re in that car with that crew chief, is your crew chief for the entire race.”
He added, “Whether it’s going good going bad, whether you’re frustrated with him or he’s frustrated with you, you have to communicate. You have to keep that communication going. But I think one of the biggest keys is understanding each other’s language.”
Tony Stewart says communication plays a vital role in the driver-crew chief relationship
Stewart further emphasized the importance of effective communication between a driver and the crew chief. He explained that both parties need to be able to understand each other’s language when discussing necessary changes to the car’s setup during a race.
He elaborated that the driver must be clear in their communication about what the car is doing and what adjustments are needed, while the crew chief must understand the driver’s version of small or big changes to make the appropriate adjustments.
“…Communication and how you describe things to each other are really important.” Lastly, Stewart concluded that the driver’s perception of a ‘little’ change may differ from the crew chief’s version of the same.
It is crucial for both parties to be in tune with each other. At the end of the day, effective communication is the key to achieving this sort of synchronization and ensuring that the necessary adjustments to the car’s setup are made accurately and efficiently.
