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Read the latest report from our friend, Gavin Noble, Radio Communications Manager for SAF1 Team. Get an insight to the world of an F1 team member's work at the Grands Prix. In this report he covers the two hotest races of the year - Malaysia and Bahrain. Read how heat, injury and fatigue conspire to make the glamarous world of F1 hell to work in.
HOME AT LAST!
It’s been a long trip. Six weeks away from home. Finally, after getting home, cutting the lawn, paying the bills, fixing my car and visiting relatives I get to sit on my own couch and reflect on the last two events.
After the Melbourne GP the team had a week free before leaving the country. Some went home, but the majority went onto to Malaysia in order to make preparations for a weeks testing prior to GP itself. Before the test there was the opportunity for a few days relaxing by the pool, a round of golf and some sight seeing around Kuala Lumpur. For those that have not visited Malaysia, I can only describe the heat and humidity as akin to being permanently inside a sauna. It is very uncomfortable, and the inevitable afternoon thunderstorms bring only short-term relief.
Working in the heat of Malaysia is very difficult – with the long hours worked during a test week, the only way to cope is pace yourself very carefully and drink lots and lots of water. Most people were drinking at least 6 litres a day, and still not needing to take a pee!
The test produced mixed results. Taku went away very happy with his set-up, however Ant (still suffering from a sore back), was not getting the best from the car. Different set-ups and configurations were tried during his sessions and although things improved markedly, it just never seemed to be quite right.
The gap between the test and the race gave a short break before preparations for the Grand Prix started in earnest. As the garage was already built for the test, the workload was slightly less than a normal race week, but the mechanics still had the cars to strip and prepare. It still amazes me how many man-hours are committed to putting two cars on the grid. Being a small team, most people are responsible for more than one job but even with 50 people the hours are long. Engineers, electronics, mechanics, hydraulics, bodywork, IT, communications, gearbox, truckies, PR, and marketing all have their sections to prepare for the race.
On race day the temperature on the grid hit 41 degrees with 64% humidity. Not fun when wearing fireproof underwear and thick overalls! The build-up to the start went well with none of the dramas of Melbourne. I was nominated on the rear jack of the ‘Stall Crew’ which meant myself and three others remained near the grid for the start should one of our cars stall. Whilst I had a fantastic view of the start, it meant that I had a 200 yard sprint back to the garage should there be a need for a pit stop on the first lap. Sure enough, it came over the radio that there had been possible contact between Taku’s car and a Toyota on the first corner. My dash back to the garage, carrying the rear jack left me as a sweaty mess. I have never, ever felt so hot in my life! If it wasn’t for Emma handing out ice-packs I could have been in trouble. The good news was that the pit stop didn’t happen which gave everyone a chance to get some more water in and try to keep as cool as possible.
It was apparent during Taku’s first pit stop that the car nose had been damaged. The car was sent out again after tyres and refuelling, but there followed some debate about whether to change the nose at the next stop. The analysis was that he was not losing as much time as it would have taken to change the nose and front wing.
Anthony was having a reasonable race, even though he was suffering from a bout of flu, but still could not get the car hooked up with good levels of grip. This was something that both drivers suffered and was much the same as the problems experienced during testing. The final result was 13th and 16th. Not a bad, but slightly disappointing after the pace shown in Melbourne. Still, there was no time for any great discussions, as a quick pack-up was needed to get the freight ready for Bahrain.
It was during the pack-up that I stupidly managed to hurt myself. The result was a cracked rib and damaged back. It was extremely painful, but fortunately the team Physio was still at the circuit and he quickly assessed the situation and carried out some first aid. It meant an early return to the hotel where a doctor gave me some injections for pain relief. The flight to Bahrain was one of the longest of my life and the following week was a painful and slow experience. Initially, I was not even able to tie my own shoe laces! It is times like this that the team pulls together and between us we still able to get the comms system set up without too much difficulty.
The normal heat and sunshine of the Bahrain desert was replaced by rain and sandstorms. I’ve been to Bahrain many times before, but had never seen it rain there. And this was proper rain too – complete with thunderstorms. It did mean that the temperatures were kept down during the working week, but the winds whipped up a huge amount of sand. Each morning, everything in the garage had to be cleaned of the layers of dust that had built up. Special care was taken to ensure that the filters of electrical and electronic equipment were changed each day.
The practice sessions went well, with the data acquired during winter testing proving invaluable. The cars were performing well, the drivers were both confident and everything looked good for the race. Anthony got his car through to Q2, and was only a fraction away from making into Q3. It was all looking good for the race itself.
Mark invited me to join in with the fan site Live Chat and so it was a privilege to pass on information from the garage and answer questions between pit stops. I was dosed up on painkillers but, for me, the relief was that the humidity was no where near what it had been in Malaysia.
Both drivers made good starts and as the race unfolded it became obvious that Anthony was having a really competitive drive. At one stage he came on the radio saying that he was faster than Kovaleinen in the Renault that was in front of him. A huge step forward from last year! There was a moment when Anthony was running in sixth position overall. A flattering position as he had not yet taken his pit stop, but still hugely satisfying to see. Then, on live chat, Mark asked if Taku was slowing. I looked at the telemetry and got a thumbs up from the technician. Although the sector times were slightly slower, there appeared to be no problems with the car. Just as I reported this on Chat, Taku’s engine blew up! Mark, your are either a jinx or telepathic!
Anthony continued to put in consistent lap times and looked like he would be coming home in 12th place. Unfortunately, he too suffered engine failure just 5 laps from the finish. It was a sad end to a week that held lots of promise. Honda now have their work cut out to investigate the failures and to restore the reliability that we have seen up to now.
It was a relief to return to the UK after such a long time away, but the work was not finished. Once the freight returned to the factory, it was a matter of unpacking everything, stripping down the cars and starting the process of preparing for the next event. It is a relentless process that stops for nothing.
At least I’m home and can sit down and watch some quality British TV - ‘Grease Mania’, ‘Castaway’ and ‘Any Dream Will Do’. Then again – when is the next flight out of here?!
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