Pit this lap, confirm?
That’s the radio signal which sends the garage into a nervous frenzy. Race mechanics pack away their folding chairs and gather equipment, signals are sent back to the waiting tyre technicians in the rear, and the radio chatter reaches a frenzy.
I’m standing to one side of the race garage of Algarve Pro Racing, who are preparing for their no.25 LMP2 racer to pit in the opening stages of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Sir Chris Hoy is sitting calmly in a chair at the open garage door, waiting for his first stint at the wheel of the Ligier JS P2 racer.
We’re listening in as the team prepares for its pit stop over the radio. Orders are barked back and forth from the garage to the pit wall, telling the team to prepare for fuel, fresh rubber and, most importantly, a driver change. It’s interesting how little of this actually gets relayed to the driver - I’d say that of all the radio chatter we heard, only about 20% of it was directed to the man at the wheel.
Very quickly, the mechanics are all in position, and we’re told the driver has entered the pitlane. The brake board goes down, marking exactly where the LMP2 car is to stop. The car streams in, stops exactly on its mark and the team leaps into action. The engine is switched off, the fuel line is connected and Hoy leaps forwards to literally pull team-mate Andrea Pizzitola from the cockpit before clambering in himself. While this is going on, technicians wipe the windscreen, lights and front bodywork free of dirt, grime and plenty of dead bugs.
With Hoy now installed in the driver’s seat, one mechanic starts to strap him in while others are focusing on the tyres. These Michelin tyres are stored in a large oven at the back of the garage until the last possible moment, to keep them warm, before being brought forwards to the car.
It really is fascinating to watch, and all too soon Hoy is leaving the pit lane to rejoin the race. He’s in the car for three stints now, each lasting around 45 minutes - that’s how long the car will last before refuelling. Meanwhile, a clearly exhausted Pizzitola is getting a debriefing from the race technicians, before heading to bed. He’ll be back in the car, if all goes as planned, in about four hours, once Hoy and team boss Mike Munemann have had their turn.
Some time later, we hear that Hoy’s first stint started off badly. He suffered a bald spot on one tyre - a result of locking the brakes - which was so bad he had to come in for fresh rubber, but despite the setback the olympian said he “really enjoyed” his time in the car.
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