What is the salary gap between NASCAR and F1 Pit Crews? All you need to know

One of the most important factors in motorsports like NASCAR and F1 other than the driver and the cars is the pit crew. The crew is responsible for any in-race action taken on the car, including repairs, tire changes, and refueling (limited to NASCAR).

Other than changing the tires and (sometimes) performing basic repairs, there are more common things that the pit crew from both the adrenaline-pumping competitions share. Some particular races in F1 can be won or lost in the pitlane because of the hard overtaking they provide on the track. Even in the stock championship, race results can be affected because of a single stop.

Ensuring speed and effectiveness is important for both competitions. While an F1 pit stop might take around two seconds of stoppage time on average, it can be up to 20 seconds in NASCAR. This is because of the difference of the cars.

The salary structure of both championships also differs. In the Cup Series championship, the yearly salary of pit crew members can range anywhere between $40,000 and $120,000. The main deciding factors of this include the role a crew member plays, their experience, and might as well be affected by the team's success rate.

At the same time, F1's structure is more based on a per-race basis. For example, the wages start with the side jacks who are paid $2,500 per race. The crew chief earns the most at $10,000 for every race. Given that there currently are 24 races in a season's calendar, their salaries can range from $57,000 to $230,000 per year, according to sportsnaut.com.

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What roles differ an F1 and a NASCAR pit crew?

The pit crew of any four-wheeled motorsports remains largely similar, as mentioned earlier. The main job is changing tires and perhaps repairing some minor damages.

However, comparing NASCAR with F1, there certainly are some differences in both sports because of the type of cars they drive. While F1 consists of extremely aero-sensitive Formula racing cars, the former races with stock cars.

Other than the tire changer, jackman, tire carrier, and crew chief, here are some of the roles that are different in both sports.

F1

1. Tire on and off crew - Formula 1 typically has three members working on one tire. The gunner focuses on just loosening and tightening the tire, while the old ones are removed and new ones are set by two completely different people.
2. Lollipop man - One single member of the crew stands on the side of the car and receives confirmation from all the members if their work on the car is done. After receiving the confirmation, this person signals the car to leave the pits.

This entire process is usually completed within two seconds.

NASCAR

1. Gasman - As apparent as it sounds, a gasman is responsible for refueling the car.
2. Technologist and Meteorologist - They are responsible for checking the aerodynamic efficiency of the car and the latter checks the weather condition.