System 1 sees extremely strung athletes compete week in, week out on a few of the most demanding race tracks world wide. The races aren’t all the time plain crusing, and the 2024 Brazilian Grand Prix was a nightmare for the Williams workforce with each its drivers crashing out in spectacular fashion. Now, the workforce has lifted the lid on the way it repairs and rebuilds vehicles which might be destroyed on a race weekend.
Final time F1 went racing in Brazil, the rain was pouring down on nearly each session over the grand prix weekend. The difficult circumstances noticed Williams racer Alex Albon crash out in qualifying and fail to begin the race, whereas teammate Franco Colapinto crashed throughout the race as properly.
This meant that crates of smashed wings, damaged brakes and different trashed items of System 1 vehicles had been shipped from Brazil again to the Williams base within the UK for the workforce to attempt to salvage. In a brand new video shared by the workforce, 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 automotive are sorted into piles of elements that may nonetheless be used and elements that belong within the trash. Mechanics haul unexpectedly packed fragments of carbon fiber out of an enormous crate, and others maintain up exhaust pipes to indicate the harm they sustained. From an outsider’s perspective, it appears like nearly all the things is destined for the trash.
That’s not the case, although, and engineers type via the piles to uncover parts that may be checked over and returned to the automotive. Different elements are additionally put to 1 aspect to be repaired earlier than they’ll race in anger as soon as once more.
Presently of the season, when there are simply three races remaining and groups are nearing their funds cap, it’s particularly vital for smaller squads like Williams to restore as many parts as attainable. Nonetheless, Williams fills one bin with trashed elements and an engineer calls for one more to begin loading with rubbish.
“We’re making an attempt to separate what could be salvageable simply to assist us till the top of the 12 months,” says Rob Clayton, automotive meeting supervisor on the workforce. “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 verify that they’re protected to run as soon as once more.
To do that, groups take away all of the broken parts from the body, resembling 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 must be fitted with the gearbox, gas cell and seat able to go racing in Las Vegas.
That entire course of takes the Williams workforce a bit of 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 workforce.
It would seem to be a monumental job, but it surely’s one which groups up and down the grid should full nearly each race weekend. Now, engineers might be exhausting at work unpacking these parts as soon as once more on the garages in Vegas so the 2 vehicles are prepared for Free Observe 1 on the Las Vegas Grand Prix on November 21.
