FO RUM
Quick stop:
Optimized F1
pit teams can
change four
tires in two
seconds.
Pit stop analytics
The idea of lifting a
car, changing four tires
and sending it on its way
in a mere two seconds
stretches the imagination.
BY E. ANDREW BOYD
32
|
Magic shows are fun because we get to experience the impossible. Still, we know there’s trickery
afoot. But what about those times when the magic
isn’t magic? When we witness something that’s seemingly impossible but proves all too real? Not only real,
but the result of optimization?
Such is the case in the Formula 1 race car pit. If
you follow F1 racing, it comes as no surprise that pit
stops have been reduced to two seconds. But if you
aren’t an F1 devotee, the idea of lifting a car, changing four tires and sending it on its way in a mere two
seconds stretches the imagination.
The role of the pit has changed dramatically over
the years. For much of racing history it was assumed
cars would only stop in the event of problems. Scheduled tire changes or fuel stops weren’t part of the
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