What Every Team Can Learn From an F1 Pit Crew

The team speech given to Maccabi FC below describes a formula one pit stop and how the harmony of the pit crew ensures the teams success. Hopefully, any team members reading this can learn more about how an incredibly efficient team functions and carry this knowledge on to your own teams. Good luck!

"For those of you who watch Formula One racing you may think that it is an individual sport as the driver gets most of the attention. However F1 racing is a team sport even during the race itself. This is because a crucial part of the race strategy is the pit stop. A rapid pit stop can be the difference between winning or losing the race.

Below is a clip explaining the process of a pit stop from Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Team.

What are the lessons that we can learn from F1 pit stops?

Firstly, each member of the team has an absolutely clear idea of their function and what the impact of it is. There is no one job that is better than the other. Excellence is the only objective when it comes to execution. There are no individuals, only team players.

Secondly there is communication. Everyone listens to each other as the team has to work in perfect harmony.

Thirdly, there is trust amongst the team members that each person knows what his job is and does his job properly. For example, the front jack man has to stand in front of the incoming car even when it is approaching the pit lane at 80 km per hour. He has to trust the skills of the driver to stop right in front of him.

The pit stop shows how incredible teamwork comes together in a short period of time.

What they do in 2 seconds under pressure, we have to do in 90+ minutes. What do we have to do in 90 minutes? Like the pit stop crew each player has to know what his job is and do it well. The games can only be won by each player doing his job well- playing hard and with discipline, taking care of the ball and coordinating his efforts into an effective team performance. Listen to each other, encourage each other and trust each other.

We are not going to win tomorrow because we are much better than them or because we deserve it because we don’t cheat. Those aren’t the reasons. We are going to play harder than them, play more disciplined than them, and execute our game plan better than they execute their game plan. We are going to take care of the ball better than them.

So like the pit stop crew work in harmony to bring the driver in the Red Bull in, first place, let’s focus on doing our jobs well, coordinating our efforts and bring the game in!"