These pictures taken on Saturday morning at the Hungarian Grand Prix, document the time slot used by the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro pit crew to fine tune the pit stop procedure.

At every race, the team spends at least fifteen minutes a day practicing to perfect the job of changing the wheels, aiming to improve the efficiency and reduce the time taken, to give the drivers every possible advantage. Precision, reaction time and team spirit are key elements of any pit stop, which can vary in length depending on the access to the garage area at any given track, but on average takes between three and four seconds. Saving a few tenths changing four wheels, or effecting repairs to the car when necessary, can be worth a place on track. Twenty people are involved in the procedure, each with a precise role to fill: there are three mechanics per wheel; one on the wheel nut gun, one to remove the old wheel and one to fit the new one; one on each jack to lift the car, front and rear, one on standby with a fire extinguisher, one to start the engine in case it stalls, one in charge of the release lights and two ready to modify the front wing angle or change the nose if required. Less important in the days when the length of refuelling determined the duration of a pit stop, efficiency and speed in changing wheels is now of vital importance for the Formula 1 teams, which when combined with a good strategy can give a driver the edge over a rival.