Method 1 sees extremely strung athletes compete week in, week out on a few of the most demanding race tracks all over the world. The races aren’t all the time plain crusing, and the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix was a nightmare for the Williams crew with each its drivers crashing out in spectacular fashion. Now, the crew has lifted the lid on the way it repairs and rebuilds automobiles which are destroyed on a race weekend.
Final time F1 went racing in Brazil, the rain was pouring down on virtually each session over the grand prix weekend. The difficult situations noticed Williams racer Alex Albon crash out in qualifying and fail to start out the race, whereas teammate Franco Colapinto crashed in the course of the race as nicely.
This meant that crates of smashed wings, damaged brakes and different trashed items of Method 1 automobiles have been shipped from Brazil again to the Williams base within the UK for the crew to attempt to salvage. In a brand new video shared by the crew, the Grove-based outfit has proven the method of unpacking the 2 trashed racers to focus on the repairs and rebuilds that may be carried out on these priceless machines.
The method begins with crates and crates of elements arriving on the Williams base. From there, the fragments of F1 automobile are sorted into piles of elements that may nonetheless be used and elements that belong within the trash. Mechanics haul swiftly packed fragments of carbon fiber out of an enormous crate, and others maintain up exhaust pipes to point out the harm they sustained. From an outsider’s perspective, it appears to be like like virtually every thing is destined for the trash.
That’s not the case, although, and engineers kind by way of the piles to uncover elements that may be checked over and returned to the automobile. Different elements are additionally put to at least one aspect to be repaired earlier than they’ll race in anger as soon as once more.
Right now of the season, when there are simply three races remaining and groups are nearing their price range cap, it’s particularly necessary for smaller squads like Williams to restore as many elements as attainable. Nonetheless, Williams fills one bin with trashed elements and an engineer calls for one more to start out loading with rubbish.
“We’re making an attempt to separate what will be salvageable simply to assist us till the top of the yr,” says Rob Clayton, automobile meeting supervisor on the crew. “That’s the place we come into our personal.”
Whereas the salvaged elements are sorted, serviced and made prepared for the subsequent race, the 2 crashed chassis are additionally inspected to examine that they’re protected to run as soon as once more.
To do that, groups take away all of the broken elements from the body, akin to suspension arms, and the crash constructions are totally inspected. To finish this job, Williams engineers have simply three days as as soon as it’s signed off as protected it needs to be fitted with the gearbox, gas cell and seat able to go racing in Las Vegas.
That entire course of takes the Williams crew slightly over per week to finish. The freight from Brazil arrives within the UK late on November 7 and departs for the U.S. the next Friday on November 14, explains Ben Howard, chief mechanic on the crew.
It’d look like a monumental job, but it surely’s one which groups up and down the grid should full virtually each race weekend. Now, engineers will likely be exhausting at work unpacking these elements as soon as once more on the garages in Vegas so the 2 automobiles are prepared for Free Apply 1 on the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21.
