The 11th Team

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Two of each in case of mechanical issues.

In Formula One there are ten teams on the grid but there is another team that is hidden away that is just as professional and is the most important team at a race track. The medical team is the team hidden away but is visible if you watch the start of the race. As the teams line up on the grid the car right at the back is the medical team. The car may not be as fast but it is a lot quicker and capable of reaching any accident within 30 seconds.

The driver is Alex Van Der Merwe a Forumla 3 World Champion and he has been the driver for over 11 years now. His task is to get the specialist doctor sitting next to him to the scene as quickly and safely as possible. The medical car will be parked between the accident and any cars that are coming past to form a safety barrier.

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The medical car at the back of the grid. The car drives the first lap and parks at the end of the pits waiting for the call.

The car used is the same as the safety car today and is a Mercedes-AMG C 63 S with a V8 bi turbo engine and a top speed of 318 km/h. This is the fastest medical car ever used at formula one races and makes a big difference for their response times. The team spends a few hours on track before every grand prix making sure they know every inch of the track. The medical car weighs around 2 tonnes fully loaded and performs differently around corners compared to the safety car.

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The Circuit of the Americas medical unit.

In the pits there is a medical room that has an orthopedic surgeon, an anesthetist and 12 paramedics on hand. There are 12 ambulances and 1 helicopter as back up if required. There are other vehicles with specialist doctors dotted around the circuit but cannot joining before the assessment has been given.

The aim of the doctor in the medical car is to organise what kind of response is required. His job is to asses as quickly as possible the condition of the driver by checking the A- Airways are clear, B - Breathing and C- Circulation also known as the ABC's. Hid job has been made easier by the sensors on the car as there are certain lights on the body that provide certain information.

The sensor on the body above the steering wheel lights up if the crash has recorder more than 15 G's. The battery pack light if flashing above the head rest lets him know if there is an electrical issue or not. The follow up team has insulated gloves for this particular reason so no one gets electrocuted. This is something fairly new as more components are run off the battery these days.

The sport is still very dangerous and they have made it as safe as they can, but it isn't fool proof.