A Breakdown of the Mercedes F1 Pitwall and What They Do
Follow Us
The Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One team’s winning streak finally came to an end. Max Verstappen clinched his first victory of the season at the Silverstone Circuit for the 70th Anniversary GP.
The Silver Arrows had to settle for an unusual P2 and P3 finish for Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, respectively. Nonetheless, the results are no indication of a failure on the part of the management.
However, there’s still no denying that Red Bull was the better team that night. Yet, Mercedes’ pit wall has always been a step ahead in terms of management, consequently solidifying their position at the top of the food chain.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
The Sporting Director of the team, Ron Meadows, recently took the fans on a virtual tour of the Pit Wall on their YouTube channel. The Brit explained everything that goes down in the den where tensions run high, rather enduringly.
Ron Meadows takes F1 fans on a virtual tour of Mercedes Pit Wall
The 56-year-old has been a prominent member of the Mercedes Formula 1 outfit for quite some time. He accurately explained the role of 5 seats in the Pit Wall of Mercedes team.
Trending
Liam Lawson’s Surprise Contract Clause Threatens Daniel Ricciardo’s RB Seat
April 24, 2024 11:15 AM EDT
Daniel Ricciardo To Be Replaced by Liam Lawson After Miami, F1 Pundit Dishes Out Harsh Verdict After Australian’s “Amateur Mistake”
April 17, 2024 11:14 AM EDT
What Is Azzurro La Plata and Azzurro Dino? Significance of Ferrari’s Historic Change to a Blue Livery for Miami GP
April 24, 2024 04:52 PM EDT
“[Charles] Leclerc Doesn’t Care About Ferrari”: F1 Insider’s Brutal Blow to Fred Vasseur & Co. Has Racing Community Lashing Out
April 24, 2024 05:00 PM EDT
F1 Rumor: Christian Horner and Wife Geri to Publicly Reveal All Details on Leaked Chat Scandal
April 22, 2024 04:10 PM EDT
Get instantly notified of the hottest F1 stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.
Follow Us
The first seat, on the extreme right, is occupied by Simon Cole, the Chief Engineer of the team. Ron said, “He is responsible for the reliability of the cars, how they run, he decides if the car sees an overload or the temperatures are too high or low.
“Also during the race, he is our weatherman.” He jokingly added that 10 years ago, everyone wanted to become a weatherman. But they decided to put Cole in that position as he was too good at it.
Next to Cole sits James Vowles, the Motorsport Strategy Director of the team. Ron explained, “James has the final say about the strategy during the race. He has a lot of intercoms in front of him.
“He is in contact with the factory in Brackley, Brixworth, and also from the garage. James has the final say on when we pit and what tires we are going to take.”
Cole is followed by James Allison, the Technical Director of the team. Ron admits that he does not attend all the races. He says, “James comes along probably every third race because he is busy trying to make the car faster and build a next year car as well.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Up next is Andrew Shovlin, the Trackside Engineering Director. He basically controls the harmony of the garage. Between the two engineering sides to ensure the visibility of the setup and how the team is going to operate.
He bridges the gap between the two garages so as to ensure effective communication between both sides.
Lastly, Ron Meadows opened up about his work. He sits on the extreme left side of the Pit Wall. About his role, he explained, “My role is to ensure that we stay out of trouble with the FIA and we abide by the sporting regulations.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
“I control the pit crew with James and tell them what tires to put on. I have a direct line to Race control with the Michael Masi and the guys upstairs. They provide my feedbacks during the race and then I bounce back to them asking if it’s correct or not.”
SOURCE- Mercedes AMG Petronas- YouTube