14 LIFESTYLE lite DECEMBER 2010

Distractions:drive

The road barricades are long down, the roar of engines and sight of cars hurtling past is a blurry memory as the festive mood overtakes the excitement of F1 season, but the next one will whiz by soon enough. For an insider’s view, share WONG MUN WAI’s experience at the Singapore Grand Prix in September.

It was an adrenalin-charged circus back there with TV crews, mechanics and racing team guests, and noise in the

pits of participating teams – Ferrari, Red Bull and Lotus Racing.

In F1 fi rst-timers Lotus Racing’s pit were engineers studying screens full of data; garage decked with engines and wheels, and mechanics diligently working on the cars.

Running the pit takes 65 people for Lotus Racing over the weekend of an F1 race. In the garage are 40 people who manage the two cars and whole pit area.

LIFE IN THE PITS

The key staff are people such as Mike Gascoyne, Chief Technical Offi cer who is in overall charge, and Jody Egginton, Chief Race Engineer who oversees the engineers and the garage.

Maintenance is ad hoc, depending on what is required during practice, qualifying and the race. Each car part is lifted from the bodywork and changed before it wears out. The parts are checked and tested at the track and the factory to make sure they are in good working order.

When tyres need changing on the track, the car is called in by the Race Engineer. The wheel gun

stive mood of F1 season, but the

enough. For an insider’s WAI’s experience at the ptember.

Lite-Distractions-Drive.indd 14 11/19/10 4:02:35 PM

LIFESTYLE lite DECEMBER 2010 15

operator removes the wheel nut, the tyre collector takes the tyre, the tyre picker puts a new one in, and the wheel gun operator secures the wheel nut. Mechanics are on hand to service the aerodynamics, suspension and gearbox anytime. Each area has at least two mechanics in charge of specifi c parts of the car, and they assess operational limits and sensor readings to determine performance levels among other aspects. What else they do is labelled “confi dential” by Lotus Racing.

LOTUS PARTNERS LGLotus Racing tied up with LG Electronics as a Technical Partner in the team’s fi rst season in F1. LG supply LCD screens – communicating data and moving images to Lotus team members and guests. A large range of sizes was used across the Garage, Factory and Hospitality areas in 2010.

product performance n the rugged high-noise/vibration environment of F1 garages. LG is also working with Lotus for future products that can benefi t both companies’ R&D.

LG measures its F1 engagement very thoroughly, studying key performance indicators in more than 12 countries that represent the major F1 and LG markets. The company charts the difference in consumers that associate LG and F1, versus those who do not. LG notes consumers who associate LG with F1 have higher opinions of LG for technology credentials, quality and most importantly, show consumer intent to buy LG products. lite

Lotus Racing required rugged screens that could withstand the high noise and vibration of an F1 garage, as well as durability to be shipped to 19 races across 18 contries in 2010. For next season, LG and Lotus Racing are working together to defi ne additional LG products that can used by the team.

LG and Lotus Racing have agreed on a minimum three-year relationship that will expire or be renewed in 2013.

LEARNING CURVE FOR LGLG gets the benefi t of learning about its

Lite-Distractions-Drive.indd 15 11/22/10 12:03:56 PM