If you’ve watched a GT World Challenge race, you have most definitely seen a driver change. A car pulls into the pit lane and stops at the team’s box, the engine is switched off, one driver climbs out, another climbs in, belts are tightened, and moments later the car is back on track.
But why do teams change drivers in the first place? The answer comes down to a combination of racing regulations and strategy choices.
In GT World Challenge America, regular races are three hours long, with the season-ending Indianapolis 8 Hour stretching even longer.
Driving a GT3 car at racing speeds for hours at a time is physically and mentally demanding. Between elevated temperatures, intense braking forces, traffic management, and the constant need for concentration behind the wheel, it demands a lot from a driver to be ‘on’ for that long. By sharing driving duties, teams can maintain a high level of performance throughout the course of a race.
Driver lineups consist of two drivers for regular season events, with a third driver added into the mix for the Indy 8 Hour. Throughout each round, there is a minimum and maximum driving time that can elapse before a driver change is then needed per the rules.
The exact requirements vary depending on the championship and event, but driver changes are often a mandatory part of race strategy. Teams must consider the running order, when to make the change, traffic on track that may affect the rejoining driver, potential caution periods, driver strengths and weaknesses, and more.
Additional decisions include whether to refuel the car or change the tires during a driver change. While the fastest teams can complete these procedures with remarkable efficiency and help them gain ground, a poorly timed one can cost valuable track positions.
This is all part of what makes GT racing fundamentally a team effort, as none of these tasks can be done by one person alone. It requires multiple drivers, engineers, strategists, mechanics, and crew members all working together to execute a race as cleanly and efficiently as possible.
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