F1
Support team chief mechanic Joe ‘Robbo’ Robinson was a key figure when it came to Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s zero-gravity pit stop. Here’s how he helped make it happen.
Joe Robinson has forgotten more about pit stops than most people will ever know. As number-one mechanic on Sebastian Vettel’s car throughout four double F1 World Championship successes, he’s accustomed to dealing with pressure – but working in zero-gravity allowed him to indulge another side of his character. We caught up with Robbo, a pilot in his spare time and a man well accustomed to flying, on a cold night in Texas, as he prepared the RB15 for the United States Grand Prix.
This project was a long time in the making – when were you first brought on board?
I come in when a job reaches the point of involving the car. As chief mechanic, I have to make sure whatever we’re doing can be done safely, the goals can be achieved and, ultimately, from a technical point of view, it’s going to be the right sort of event for us. I found out about the Zero Gravity project when it was still in the ideas phase. Then it was a case of selecting the right car for the job.
And why was the RB1 the right car for the job?
It’s 200mm narrower than the current car, which was a factor, given the confined environment. We use it for public demonstrations, so the kit on it is robust, and it’s also lighter. You might not think weight would be important when we’re weightless – but because it goes through the transition from positive-g to zero-g, that was very significant. We got it down to around 400kg – which made it much easier to work with.
How much training did you do for zero-g?
Sparse! We had letters from our doctors to say we were medically safe to do it. When we got to Russia, the training involved them taking your blood pressure, handing you a parachute and showing you how to pull the cord in an emergency. Pretty basic!
And is that reassuring?
I didn't mind it – I like that sort of thing. In fact, it pushed home that I’m a bit of an adrenaline junkie. I loved the rough and ready nature of it and the fact it was a military plane and for take-off you just sat on the floor.
You’re a pilot and have done some aerobatics in your spare time. Was this similar?
A little bit. The sensation is similar to coming over the top in a Cuban Eight loop. The weird part of the parabolic move is that, when the pilot gets it right, there’s no feeling of being thrown up into the air, you just lightly come off your feet and you’re into the float. When he gets it really right, you almost don’t feel your feet leave the floor. It’s not like you rocket to the ceiling – you just float. When they get it not quite so right and you get a decent amount of negative-g, you’re heading for the ceiling really quite quickly!
Is there a warning system for when the plane is at the top of the arc?
There’s a loadmaster who talks you through it – the only problem is he talks you through it in Russian and my Russian is pretty limited! After one or two manoeuvres you soon pick out what the words and the body language means though.
What was it like working with the Roscosmos guys?
Very, very rewarding. They’re specialists in what they do; we’re specialists in what we do. When we merged those skills, we got something quite enjoyable. The more flights we did, the more we became accustomed to it and the more they could lean on us to do the job.
Is it the toughest challenge the Live Demo team have ever been tasked with?
Yes and no. Purely in terms of the car, it was quite limited – because the car wasn’t running. Assuming the axles and the threads were OK, all we had to do was look after it and repair any damage. The challenge was in the choreography, the timing, even things like getting the freight to Star City.
The physical challenge, yes, this is the toughest. It pushed us harder than I thought it would. You realise how much you rely on gravity when you don’t have any! Something as straightforward as tightening a wheelnut becomes very difficult when the car is on the float, and the only control you have is through the stiffness of your ankles, tucked into floor straps. It challenges you to think and operate in a different way – and that was brilliant.
What did you take away from the experience?
I have an adrenaline junkie tendency and I love aviation, so this rolled several of my passions into one. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and honestly, I could have stayed and done it all month. It was amazing. I think it’s the coolest, most fun thing the Live Demo team have ever done with a showcar.
