Why are F1 pitboards still used? 

F1 pitboards are an icon and a staple of the sport, and have been in use since the very beginning of Formula 1 to signal drivers as to when to come into the pits. This rudimentary instrument has stayed in F1 to this day, and yet, F1 is called the pinnacle of motorsport. This is, of course, for a reason; being that every single team on the grid is constantly innovating.

The pace of development in F1 is rapid, and it is consistently so. In a sport where every thousandth of a second could mean the difference between the driver finishing first and twentieth, every single possibility for quickening the pace of a car is explored and squeezed dry.

Teams develop advanced technologies for every single aspect of the sport, from pit stops to communications. Ferrari and McLaren, for example, revealed their new wheel guns in 2023 and 2022, respectively, that informed the pit crew when the tire nut was screwed on correctly through the use of sensors and LED lights.

The communications equipment of Formula 1 teams is similarly at the forefront of modern-day technology, with radio and WiFi systems ensuring that crucial telemetry information and radio messages from the driver and the pitwall are seamlessly connected.

The high-speed nature of the equipment is also obviously crucial, as keeping the driver connected to the team seamlessly and without delay is an absolute prerequisite for a successful race.

Important messages such as lap times, commands to pit, and warnings as to fast approaching drivers are communicated using the radio. In short, Formula 1 radios are essential for receiving and interpreting driver feedback, as well as communicating instructions. These radios, due to their pivotal nature, tend to be lossless and without significant delay.

So why do pitboards still exist?

Pitboards are boards that convey pieces of important information, such as a driver’s position in a race, and gaps to drivers behind them, as well as the lap number. These boards are generally hung from the pitwall at the beginning of a pit straight to give the driver time to read the information.

In light of the discussion on radio communications, however, the question obviously arises as to why pitboards still exist, if the team can simply communicate the same information over the radio instead of pitboards.

The answer to this question is the same as the reason behind Kimi Raikonnen’s infamous, “Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing!”. The reason being that drivers are already experiencing severe sensory overload while driving a car, having to pay attention to other radio messages, steering wheel inputs, breaking points and zones, the sound of the engine to know when to change gears, and several other inputs that are vital to ensure the car is driven in a quick and safe manner.

Alongside these sensory inputs, drivers also have to focus on the actual racing, which alone requires incredible focus. Radio messages, thus, can be incredibly distracting.

Teams, therefore, will often choose to only convey the most critical messages (like the ones involving pit stop instructions) over the radio. Cluttering the radio channel with constant unprompted updates on position and lap numbers is unwise, distracting, and at worst, hazardous.

Additionally, the screen on the steering wheel can also become difficult to read off due to excessive vibrations or rain, which provides another reason for the existence of pitboards. Simply put, pitboards are used to provide the drivers with some peace and quiet, and let them focus and concentrate on driving, while still ensuring information is communicated to them.

Pitboards, therefore, are not some quaint relic of a bygone era, and are still very much necessary in the sport, being used to relay important information to a driver without distracting him or her, which would otherwise be annoying or frustrating if it was communicated to the driver lap after lap repeatedly. Pitboards, thus, serve a very necessary and significant function in the sport, ensuring that information is communicated without distracting the driver.