Dance music before the din of the race

Dance music before the din of the race

Revving engines and the tightening of wheel nuts form the usual soundtrack of a Formula One team's garage.

But, when the mechanical symphony dies down in the Red Bull Racing (RBR) garage, thumping dance music echoes off the sterile white walls within, even if it is barely an hour before the race flags off.

"DJ E Rock flies with us to each race.

He will customise a playlist for the staff for each stop, depending on what they want to hear," said Holly Taggart, the team's guide when The New Paper toured their garage on Sunday's evening, courtesy of Casio, one of RBR's sponsors.

"It's been like this for all the races for the two and a half years I've worked with the team - the dance music keeps their energy up, and of course there's also Red Bull!"

Scores of hospitality guests streamed through the garage while other well-heeled guests milled behind cordons in front of the garage, snapping away at the mechanics at work.

Taggart said: "I used to work at Manchester United (in the UK), and you wouldn't get this level of access just before a game; can you imagine being in the dressing room just before kick-off?

"But it is what it is in this sport, even though (the pit crew) may not be too pleased about it."

FIA rules allow a staff of 60 to work in the garage and almost the entire quota were in on Sunday night, with the engineers peering at their computers, analysing the car's data.

About seven mechanics each were fussing over the cars of triple world champion Sebastian Vettel and teammate Mark Webber, hardly exchanging a word and certainly not grooving to the party music.

The main men - Vettel and Webber - were conspicuously absent though.

Taggart explained: "They come in only when they are required, just before the race, for last-minute instructions from the engineers and the mechanics."

Otherwise, they wait in rooms in the paddock area, behind the garages, mentally preparing themselves to find their own groove and make some sweet music on the tracks.


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