Why are there people on the pitwall?

[P38 in workshop]

After the European GP it occurred to me that all the teams have a group of people on the pitwall who can't see much and whose contribution could be just as effective if they were elsewhere.With a solid bank of monitors,they have no view of the track and with the noise of the engines they communicate using headsets.The only man who really needs to be there is the bloke wielding the pit-board and he is only really necessary when the radio gives up.
Is there really a need for the teams to expose the other personnel to the risk of flying debris?Or does a seat on the pitwall indicate a person's elevated status in the team hierarchy?I might be alone in believing the current arrangement is a relic of an age that passed when the switch to electronic communication took place.If there is a sound reason for the current arrangement I am willing to be persuaded of its merits.

[Marbot]

They aren't called 'Prat Perches' for nothing.

[ASCII Man]

Originally Posted by P38 in workshop

If there is a sound reason for the current arrangement I am willing to be persuaded of its merits.

That's quite a bit of arrogance there.

[P38 in workshop]

Originally Posted by ASCII Man

That's quite a bit of arrogance there.

Your interpretation.Doesn't actually move the topic forward.

[ASCII Man]

Well, whoop dee doo then.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Marbot

They aren't called 'Prat Perches' for nothing.

I'm sure that the greatest minds in Formula 1 love being called prats

[Svierge]

Originally Posted by Mr V

I'm sure that the greatest minds in Formula 1 love being called prats

It's the universal name for them, throughout motorsport.

[Svierge]

Originally Posted by P38 in workshop

The only man who really needs to be there is the bloke wielding the pit-board and he is only really necessary when the radio gives up.

If there is a sound reason for the current arrangement I am willing to be persuaded of its merits.

Teams always run boards as an added measure. You don't tell the driver the gap every lap unless you're urging him to push because you don't want too much radio traffic, but he likes to know certain things so the board is always used.

Jolly good of you to be willing to be pursuaded! I won't try to pursuade you, but I will tell you what happens. From a personal standpoint you 'feel' the race a lot more from the wall because, despite the GPS beacons on the cars and all the info from telemetry and live timing, there's nothing to beat being on the wall for the adrenalin kick, to gauge track position relative to other cars, watch other pit stops, look at the weather etc, etc. It's subjective, but I think it's true for everyone in road racing. At Le Mans a few years ago I was a backroom data and strategy bod and never once sat on the wall for the entire race, which left me with a strangely disconnected feeling, as if I wasn't really part of the action. Prior to and since then I have always sat on the wall, in the prat perch, drinking tea...

[Born Racer]

I think P38 in workshop raises a legitimate question. I suppose they can view the start-finish straight (a bit) and the pits from there, as well as being left alone in a mini team during the race, working as one unit and being able to speak to crew members where necessary by going into the garage.

[Bononi]

Originally Posted by Svierge

Jolly good of you to be willing to be pursuaded! I won't try to pursuade you, but I will tell you what happens. From a personal standpoint you 'feel' the race a lot more from the wall because, despite the GPS beacons on the cars and all the info from telemetry and live timing, there's nothing to beat being on the wall for the adrenalin kick, to gauge track position relative to other cars, watch other pit stops, look at the weather etc, etc. It's subjective, but I think it's true for everyone in road racing. At Le Mans a few years ago I was a backroom data and strategy bod and never once sat on the wall for the entire race, which left me with a strangely disconnected feeling, as if I wasn't really part of the action. Prior to and since then I have always sat on the wall, in the prat perch, drinking tea...

I like the drinking tea part.

[Born Racer]

Frank Dernie?

[DAVID PATERSON]

Originally Posted by Svierge

It's the universal name for them, throughout motorsport.

You sure about that?

I've been in the sport for 24 years and never heard the term before.

Also, prat is a very English word, rarely used in other English speaking countries, let alone the rest of the world. Perhaps you meant to say "It's the universal name for them, throughout British motorsport"?

[cerdic]

I've heard the term 'prat perch' used plenty of times over the years....

[Svierge]

Originally Posted by DAVID PATERSON

You sure about that?

I've been in the sport for 24 years and never heard the term before.

Also, prat is a very English word, rarely used in other English speaking countries, let alone the rest of the world. Perhaps you meant to say "It's the universal name for them, throughout British motorsport"?

Okay, I'll rephrase. It's a largely universal term, used primarily in Northern hemisphere-based road racing on both two and four wheels. And as Brits have infiltrated most forms of top end motorsport, we take our phrases and terms with us and the amused (and bemused) foreign folks eventually start using them too.

[Mr V]

Originally Posted by Svierge

It's the universal name for them, throughout motorsport.

Really ? I never knew ?

But my point remains, i'm sure the biggest names in F1 (and everyother catergory for that matter) would rather be known as something else.