2022 AM Wings_Mono Negative
Feature

Video: The pitwall calls making or breaking a race

Bernadette Collins: Strategy

Sitting on the pitwall at a Grand Prix, Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team is making hundreds of split-second decisions, all with the potential to make or break a race in an instant.

Sitting on the pitwall at a Grand Prix, Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team is making hundreds of decisions, all with the potential to make or break a race in an instant.

Team Silverstone prevailed in the Sakhir Grand Prix last year as a result of such quick thinking, pitting Sergio Perez at the end of the first lap in response to a clash on track, later resulting in an incredible victory.

Huge amounts of work go into preparation for a Grand Prix weekend, whether it’s going over historical data, running simulations at base or evaluating expected track conditions.

It’s all hugely valuable, but you can only prepare so much for Formula One’s unpredictability and by the end of Turn One, the best-laid plans can be turned on their head.

Reacting quickly and decisively is key to a Grand Prix, but there’s also the largely unseen head-to-head battle over the radio. Do you message and confirm a pitstop early for a driver’s benefit, or leave it late to catch out your rivals and force them into changing their strategy?

Pitwall decision-making

Exploring race strategy

In this video, Head of Race Strategy Bernadette Collins explains what it’s really like to be leading the team making the pitwall decisions and provides insight into the key moments that can influence strategy.

Race strategy explained

Inspired by Bernadette’s role? Head to Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One™ Team’s official LinkedIn page to see current openings at the team and keep an eye out for our upcoming dedicated careers section, launching soon on the site.

The development

The story of the AMR21

Bahrain Grand Prix

#IAMSTORIES: Bahrain