As a dedicated channel partner offering a range of technology services, from service desk to hardware break-fix, it is perhaps surprising to draw a comparison between our support for our partners and the role played by everyone in a racing team except the driver.
However, it is interesting to note that whilst Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton and their ilk are household names the world over, few if any formula one fans could name the pit crew responsible for the sub two second wheel changes, performed under incredible pressure.
There are more than 20 people in the pit crew, but for each stop, this expertly choreographed team are responsible for jacking up and stabilising the car, changing all four wheels, making adjustments to the aerodynamics and then safely releasing the car. But can you name them?
The parallels are obvious
An F1 pit crew waiting to perform a frighteningly quick pit stop in support of their driver, on the brink of winning, is a well-oiled machine that’s undertaken the same process thousands of time, in practice and for real, in the heat of sporting battle.
To make a winning team on the takes hundreds of employees, but when a car rolls into the pits, it is a small number of specialists that leap into action, fulfilling a range of support roles that combine into a single seamless service.
All mechanics and engineers with a wider role within the garage, these are the pit crew that you see rush to their driver’s car in the pits:
- #1 Front jack (2) – Two crew members use a special jack to lift the car in the air from the front and will move to the side to release the jack and pull it clear when the wheel change is complete.
- #2 Rear jack (2) – Two crew members are responsible for lifting the car from behind to allow the rear tyres to be changed and release the jack when the change is complete.
- #3 Wheel gunner (4) – This is the person responsible for operating the wheel gun to remove and fit the wheel nut and there are four in the team, one for each wheel.
- #4 Wheel off (4) – This is the person responsible for removing the 11kg wheel, once the nut has been removed by the wheel gunner, with one responsible for each wheel.
- #5 Wheel on (4) – This crew member brings a wheel to the pit box ready to fit it, in place of the one removed by the wheel off guy, with again one for each wheel.
- #6 Side steadier (2) – When the car is jacked up front and back it can become unstable so these two crew members steady the car near the cockpit and change the front wing if damaged.
- #7 Front wing (2) – If aerodynamic changes to the front wing are needed, typically to alter oversteer and understeer, these two crew members take responsibility for the small changes made.
- #8 Lollipop man (1) – The crew member ultimately responsible for the safe release of the car, finding a safe gap in the pit lane traffic, following the resolution of issues during the wheel change.
It takes a lot of people with a range of different skills to deliver a seamless service that might only take 2 seconds, but how it’s done can be the difference between winning and losing. And when you’re winning business, there is no second place.
Channel partners staying ahead
In the commercial word, the focus of all the most successful businesses is trying to maintain a good strong relationship with clients through the improvement of performance, as clients are hard won and keeping them is critical to future success.
Our channel partners outsource particular services to ONS, knowing we can be trusted to deliver a high-quality service, that keeps their clients’ users online and productive when the gremlins strike their technology.
We continue to invest in experienced people with the expertise to match, so channel partners like you, don’t have to. That is our commitment. And it’s why after decades of development we believe ONS provides an unrivalled range of high-quality services, that will help you win and retain clients.