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Red Bull leaves nothing to chance; complete fibre-optic connection with factory

26 July 2020 at 16:15
  • GPblog.com

In the modern Formula 1 part of a team that is present on the track is a lot smaller than the group that stays behind in the factory. Although most people there are involved in the development and construction of the car, there is also a group that follows all the developments during the Grand Prix in a special area. The people in this 'Operations Room' have to make sure that the team members and drivers on the circuit are always provided with the right information.

How seriously a team like Red Bull Racing takes these extra eyes and ears is demonstrated by the fact that there is absolutely no wireless working here. The connection between this room and the circuit is completely fiberglass and AT&T makes this connection at every Grand Prix. Every millisecond counts in this communication. In order to be able to work fully concentrated, there is a dead silence.

In this room you can see everything earlier and faster

“When you’ve got your headset on, you don’t hear anything else, but there is a lot of chat on the radio, so it feels anything but silent,” one of the strategists explains to Redbull.com. “When the drivers are talking, we all tend to keep quiet and listen to make sure we hear if anything is needed."

The people in this room play an important role in supporting the team on the track. They generally have a better overview of all events on the track and what exactly happens to the cars. For example, during one of the free practice sessions they were able to tell the drivers that a Renault had lost a part on the straight, almost half a minute before the TV cameras showed it.