While I was in Montreal, I visited the paddock where the crew and engineers were preparing for the day’s practice sessions. Once I got over the initial whiff of “What’s on fire?”, I noticed something: everything happens at once. When it came time to assemble the racecar, one person slid underneath the raised chassis with a flashlight as others came in from the warehouse with components, performing precise surgery on a chassis that was being lowered even as they worked, two crew members at either end operating the lifts as two others removed the chocks, and yet others approached with body panels and tires, tape and power tools.

As many as twelve people were gathered around the car at any given time in this carefully choreographed chaos. IKEA amateurs need not apply. Hell, I don’t think I know enough prepositions to describe how everything fit together, much less how it’s taken apart. Watching the seamless collaboration between the individuals in this well-oiled machine, it’s a beautiful thing.

Even here, there’s an incredible amount of accounting going on: tires have their barcodes scanned by no fewer than three different people representing three different organizations whether they’re coming off the vehicle or being installed, in order to track their mileage; those parts I used in my earlier examples, they’re all tracked with barcodes, each with their own replacement schedule. The software tells the team not only when to swap them out, but also when to fabricate so that they can ship it to the racetrack in time. Just-in-time, if you will.

There’s one image that’s stuck with me since that weekend. It’s just after 2 in the afternoon, storm clouds in the distance promising rain, nobody knowing exactly how much, despite the dedicated radar. The practice session is underway, but a caution over the course means Grosjean and Maldonado are sitting in the Lotus paddock, waiting on a call that will see them either wrapping up in advance of the rain, or hitting the track to knock out a few more laps. The crew is tending to the tire warmers and brake coolers, the drivers are watching footage of their previous laps on monitor rigs perched in front of their cockpits, while others are indulging in a bit of coffee and shooting the breeze. It’s about as close to “day at the office” as you’re going to get on a racetrack.

Then the call comes in and the crew springs to action. Monitors are moved away, safety helmets put on, tire covers taken off. It’s all hands on deck as the cars are rolled out into the pit lane. A shadow falls over the interior of the paddock, echoing the hush that’s come over the assembled cast as they take their positions in front of the paddock doors. The cars, the drivers, the crew, the engineers – the team – stand at attention, their stark figures striking out the midday sun. Beyond them, nothing but the sky above and asphalt below.

Time to go racing.

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