A Formula 1 pitstop is a carefully choreographed display of precision, agility and speed that sees teams replace all four tyres, make front wing adjustments and send a car back out to the race track in a handful of seconds. In total, a stop requires around 20 people doing different jobs, but one role is more stressful than the rest.
In every stop, three mechanics service each wheel, two people hold the car steady, two are on hand to make any wing adjustments necessary, one swoops in to raise the rear of the car and another has the most intense job of the lot: standing in front of an approximate 768kg race car as it slams to a stop mere centimetres from their toes. That position is, of course, the front jack operator.
