The Test Team: Unsung Heroes

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Formula One test teams are the unsung heroes of the sport, but their hard work and dedication is often overlooked.

AT&T Williams have a 40-strong crew which spend a large proportion of the year at cold and wet race tracks around Europe in order to prepare the cars for the races. The test team’s busiest period falls between January and March when the team will spend the first three months of the year in Spain running the new car and validating wind tunnel work in preparation for the season ahead. Tests usually fall mid-week and will normally run for four days over the winter period. The majority are two car tests.

To save costs, testing is significantly reduced during the season to a 30 day limit, but the test team will still travel to one of our designated test tracks (for example Barcelona or Jerez) for three day tests in the gap between races to shake the cars down and undertake development work for forthcoming Grands Prix.

While at the track, the crew work extremely long hours. Arriving at the track as early as seven o’clock in the morning to set the cars up, the team will then spend between 0900 and 1700 running them on track. At the end of the day, the mechanics and engineers will then use the evening to re-configure the cars in preparation for the following day’s running.

As such, the test team are our unsung heroes, working behind the scenes to make sure the cars are ready to take to the grid for the 18 Grands Prix this season. This video tells their story.

If you are a broadcaster and would like to order a copy of this video, please go to our online ordering portal, the Newsmarket: www.thenewsmarket.com/WilliamsF1