Direction arrows on F1 team pit boxes

[minghis]

Watching the race today I noticed several of the teams have quite large direction arrows painted in the pit boxes where the cars stop for the tyre changes.

Do the drivers really need reminding which way to leave the pits?

[PBDirector]

Not watched F1 for a decade so this is a guess, but surely it'd be for the pit crew to orient themselves when they go out to change the tyres? Must be easy to disorient when sat in a different pit garage each weekend?

[ukaskew]

I guess also if they're consistent (and I imagine they are carefully measured out and applied at every circuit), it gives the driver another reference point to hit his mark.

[Y8RSP]

ukaskew said:

I guess also if they're consistent (and I imagine they are carefully measured out and applied at every circuit), it gives the driver another reference point to hit his mark.

... Is absolutely correct!

[MartG]

PBDirector said:

Not watched F1 for a decade so this is a guess, but surely it'd be for the pit crew to orient themselves when they go out to change the tyres? Must be easy to disorient when sat in a different pit garage each weekend?

Especially as at some circuits the cars are circulating in the opposite direction to other circuits - having a large arrow on the ground removes the possibility of the pit crew making a mistake as to which way the car will be pointing when it arrives in the pits