Wheel gun

Daniil Kvyat driving the AlphaTauri AT01 Honda makes a pitstop during the 2020 F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain

The wheel gun is the pneumatic impact wrench Formula 1 pit crews use to remove and refit the single wheel nut that holds each wheel on the car. It is the fastest impact wrench in world motor sport, and the crew members who wield them are among the most highly trained specialists in any garage.

What is a wheel gun in F1?

An F1 wheel gun is a bespoke pneumatic impact wrench that spins at up to 10,000 rpm and delivers torque of over 3,000 Nm in short pulses. A single central wheel nut on each wheel is undone in a fraction of a second, and the same gun then refits and torques the new nut. Two crew members operate each corner: a wheel-gun operator and a tyre-off / tyre-on pair.

How the wheel gun works

• the gun engages the wheel-nut socket as the car arrives on the jacks;
• a first burst of torque undoes the old nut;
• the tyre-off crew member removes the old wheel;
• the tyre-on crew member fits the new wheel;
• a second burst of torque tightens the new nut to the specified value;
• a sensor confirms full engagement before the release signal is given.

Sensor confirmation and safety

Every modern F1 car has a wheel-nut sensor at each corner that reads engagement torque and confirms full tightening. The pit-stop release signal, delivered by a light system on the pit box, does not turn green until every sensor confirms all four wheels are properly fastened. This system was introduced progressively after several unsafe releases in the 2010s, most notably a loose wheel on Sergio Perez's Red Bull at Monaco 2018, which drove tighter FIA rules on release procedures.

Wheel guns and pit-stop records

Wheel guns are one of the main contributors to F1's pit-stop time reductions over the last decade. Elite crews can complete a four-wheel change in around 2.0 seconds, with the world record standing at 1.80 seconds set by McLaren for Lando Norris at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. Every tenth of that time gain has come from wheel-gun engineering, tyre-carrier choreography and jack synchronisation.

Frequently asked questions about wheel guns

What is a wheel gun in F1?

A wheel gun is a pneumatic impact wrench used by F1 pit crews to remove and refit the single central wheel nut on each wheel during a pit stop.

How fast does an F1 wheel gun spin?

Up to about 10,000 rpm, delivering peak torque of over 3,000 Nm in short pulses.

How many people operate a single wheel corner?

Typically two: a wheel-gun operator and a tyre-off / tyre-on pair. Some teams also add a third crew member to stabilise the tyre.

How do wheel guns confirm the nut is tightened?

A sensor at each corner reads engagement torque and confirms full tightening. The pit-stop release signal does not turn green until all four sensors confirm.

What was the Sergio Perez Monaco 2018 wheel incident?

Perez was released from the pit with a loose right rear wheel and had to stop in the pit lane. The incident helped drive tighter FIA rules on release procedures and sensor confirmations.