A Formula One pit stop crew numbers up to twenty mechanics. Four wheel-gunners — one per corner — operate pneumatic wrenches to remove and refit the single locking lug nut on each wheel. Eight tyre carriers work in pairs at each corner: one to pull the old tyre clear, one to place the fresh tyre. Two stabilisers steady the car on either side. Front wing mechanics adjust or replace the wing assembly if needed. The fire extinguisher man stands ready with a hand-held extinguisher; this role became standard following the 1994 German Grand Prix, when a refuelling mishap engulfed Jos Verstappen's Benetton in flames during a pit stop.
The front jack man must position himself directly in front of the incoming car, ready to slide the jack under the nose as the driver brakes. This is considered the most hazardous role in the entire pit crew, as overshot entries by drivers have caused injuries to mechanics stationed there. The rear jack man works behind the stationary car to lift the rear. By contrast, the rear jack man is the only crew member who cannot be in his working position before the car arrives — he must move into place only once the car has stopped.
Historically, a dedicated "lollipop man" held the team's circular pit board to help the driver locate his pit box on the lane, keep the brakes applied during the stop, engage first gear when the jacks dropped, and signal departure by raising the board. The lollipop role has been replaced across modern Formula One by an overhead traffic light system suspended above the driver's cockpit in the pit box. The lights — red to hold, green to leave — are controlled from the garage by the team, with sensors detecting when all four wheel-change operations are complete. Ferrari temporarily reverted to the lollipop man after a sensor malfunction during the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix caused problems with their automated release system, but the light tree subsequently became universal.
Between the 1994 and 2009 seasons, mid-race refuelling was permitted in Formula One, adding a further specialist role: the refuelling man, who connected and managed the high-pressure fuel rig during the stop. Cars were refuelled at rates exceeding 12 litres per second through a closed system that simultaneously evacuated air from the tank. All personnel involved in refuelling wore FIA-standard multi-layer fire-resistant suits to meet guideline FIA Standard 8856-2000. Stops during the refuelling era typically lasted six to twelve seconds depending on fuel load; a problem such as a pump failure or stalled engine could extend this considerably. Mid-race refuelling was banned from the 2010 season onwards, removing the refuelling man role.
The starter man stood ready with a start tool to restart the engine if the driver stalled during a stop. Modern Formula One cars carry anti-stall systems and can be independently restarted by the driver using the car's on-board battery, rendering the role unnecessary except in the event of a complete engine reset. The lollipop man has similarly been retired in favour of the automated light tree.
With refuelling removed, Formula One pit stops consist solely of tyre changes and occasional wing adjustments. A regulation stop typically lasts approximately 3 seconds. McLaren holds the outright world record, set with a 1.80-second stop on Lando Norris's car at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. Teams rehearse the procedure intensively to shave fractions of a second: time lost in the pits is directly converted to track position, and a single fumbled lug nut can move a driver from a winning position to the points fringe within a single race lap.