Driving the safety car in entire the races during the Formula 1 weekends. It’s no only F1. I used to talk most of the time I’m sitting after the steering wheel during the backward races. Ultrasound transducer probe
The safety car is there for safety reasons. You will cry on the car on the follow if something happens, because instance when the climate conditions are poor or when there is an accident, or when there is a bit of litter above the track.
We because noise gorge checks each morning because the GPS and sparkle panel systems and I’m a fragment of entire the drivers’ meetings. if something happens or if there are questions relating ought the safety car, I’m always there. This is from Thursday morning until Sunday after the F1 nation is over.
Normally I begin above Thursday. There is one race, the season opener at Australia, where the trade already starts above the Wednesday, because they gorge accordingly many backward races. That’s the argument why we conduct our follow tests above Wednesday above there. besides normally we conduct the follow tests above Thursday from 2 ought 3 o’clock.
Bernd Maylander behind the wheel of the FIA Safety Car
Photo by: Sutton Motorsport Images
On Friday I’m just after the wheel because the follow quiz at the morning. That’s ago the F3 cars begin with their free practice. I just conduct two or three laps. at the differ of the appointment we gorge the drivers meeting.
Sometimes I'm because noise at the car for qualifying if there is a qualifying above Friday and there are extraordinary climate conditions. We can begin qualifying only if the climate conditions are OK, accordingly sometimes I conduct a check lap. because qualifying I’m always above stand-by. That method I’m shut ought the car, besides no sitting at the car.
On Saturday morning we gorge a small safety car test. That method we gorge a training of the safety car situation. That’s specially important because the marshals almost the track, accordingly that they are above the exact site and appear the exact flags. And above Saturday afternoon, after the F1 qualifying, we gorge our first race. It’s always Formula 2.
Before the F2 peculiarity nation we send the safety car out because two laps, just ought cry on if entire the marshals are at the exact position. because me it’s always a good training ought gorge a join of laps ought understand the conditions more or less, because the follow changes from Thursday ought Sunday. after F2 we gorge the F3 nation and at some events we because noise gorge a Porsche Supercup race.
On Sunday we gorge the F1 nation and ago that are entire the backward races. And that’s my conventional time procedure because what I gorge ought conduct at the car.
My days at the follow are fairly long. I’m arriving each morning almost 7:30 ought 7:45 am and I’m going backward ought the hotel amid 6 and 7 pm. above Thursday I desert the follow a bit earlier, besides from Friday ought Sunday I always attain early at the morning and desert after the final race.
Is ought exist focused, specially when I’m at the safety car. I gorge ought exist really focused above what’s going on, ought understand the entire condition and ought obtain the exact news at the exact time, which is really important because us at the safety car, ought understand which category of event has happened and if there is litter above the track.
Lionel Ng / Motorsport Images
That is because noise what we are checking, besides if you gorge the news already before, it’s fairly helpful because me. accordingly you gorge ought exist focused above what’s happening, specially at front of you.
Sometimes there is litter or maybe a car that blocks the track. We always attempt no ought recess the race. We always attempt ought own the nation running, even though it's under safety car conditions. Having news and doing the exact affair at the exact minute is identical important because me and because that you want a luck of practice.
After 21 years you gorge a routine at your job. And still routine is fairly helpful, each condition is a new situation. Sometimes it looks although the nation exist the same, besides from one minute ought another things can change. You gorge ought exist awake, you gorge ought exist focused.
Well, the radio is an important one, because that is where I obtain news from a nation director. Another tool is the TV. That’s where I can cry on what happened above the follow if there is an event and that’s how we hunt the nation more or less. And we gorge a GPS schedule of the track, which is connected ought a G-force shock system. accordingly if there is a large shock above the follow by any car, we can cry on that. besides nevertheless we gorge ought wait because the radio cry of the nation director. We nevertheless gorge ought wait because the green sparkle ought deploy.
During the races I’m talking ought nation director Michael Masi and because noise agent nation director Colin Haywood. Those are the two nation I gorge above my radio.
They agreement me instructions and agreement me entire the news above what’s happened and talk me when I gorge ought deploy or when I gorge ought grow backward ought the hollow lane. I agreement them entire the news from the follow from my point of view. What I feel or my co-driver feels is fairly important, besides the decision is up ought nation control, ought the nation director, because they gorge the entire advice of everything.
Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
I gorge a co-driver with me, Richard Darker, and he is identical important because me because well, because two pairs of ears and eyes hear and cry on more than one. ought gorge someone next ought me is always good, and I certainty him 100 percent.
During the week most of the time I’m at my office, because I’m a freelancer. I gorge because noise some other jobs that I’m doing, preparing and planning my next weeks, booking the flights and hotels, things although this. And I really sensation ought own some time because my family, because my wife, twins and because noise because my dog! athletics is always a fragment of my life too. I although running. Apart from that I although assembly up with some friends and having a delightful barbecue with them, the general things you used to conduct when you gorge a personal life.
It already happened four epoch at 21 years that I’m no at the follow because I had an event or was at hospital. Then there’s a back-up procedure. if something happens during the weekend we will accept one of the Formula 1 retain drivers.
Or we can use the medical car driver, because he knows the procedures and he knows the car, and then we discover a spare driver because the medical car. That’s easier because normally the Medical Car only has ought flow one lap after the begin and because sure entire F1 retain drivers understand how ought manage a car. There are procedures at site ought assure that there always is someone at the safety car.
Will I exist doing this because another 21 years? I nevertheless understand it. I will anticipate the changes at the future, what will happen. I can talk no 21 years, besides definitely another little years. I gorge a luck of colleagues who are 60 years old and who are nevertheless bloody quick!
For me it’s the highest and best racing championship with the quickest cars and the best technology. And exact now I’m really fortunate ought cry on how Formula 1 has changed at the final join of years.
Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
We specially want young drivers although Max Verstappen. That's what makes the sport, really. Characters. And I weigh we are above a really good lane ought backward these characters. ought exist a fragment of Formula 1 is really delightful and Formula 1 is fragment of my life. because a good fragment of the year we are travelling almost the world together and somehow it’s a tiny bit of a family.
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