A Formula One pit crew utilizes four wheel-gunners, also known as tyre changers, with one assigned to each corner of the car. These mechanics use the pneumatic wrench to unscrew the lug nut as soon as the car is raised by the front and rear jack men. Once the old tyre is removed and a new one is positioned by the tyre carriers, the wheel-gunner uses the tool to tighten the single nut, securing the wheel to the hub.
The wheel guns are powered via an overhead pneumatic rig. This infrastructure allows the wheel-gunners to be in their working positions before the car arrives in the pit box. The speed of the tool is a critical component of the "double stack" strategy, where a team pits both of its cars on the same lap; the rapid execution of the tyre change at each corner ensures the second car does not lose significant time waiting for the first to clear the stall.
The evolution of wheel-gun technology and crew choreography is evidenced by the progression of world-record pit stop times:
2013 US Grand Prix: Red Bull Racing utilized these tools to service Mark Webber in 1.923 seconds.
2016 European Grand Prix: Williams completed a stop for Felipe Massa in 1.92 seconds.
2019 Brazilian Grand Prix: Red Bull Racing achieved a 1.82-second stop for Max Verstappen.
2023 Qatar Grand Prix: McLaren set the current world record, completing a stop for Lando Norris in 1.80 seconds.
The high-speed nature of wheel-gun operation carries significant risks if the tool is not fully engaged or if the car is released prematurely. An "unsafe release" occurs if a driver is signaled to depart before the wheel-gunner has finished securing the lug nut. At the 2018 Australian Grand Prix, both Haas F1 Team cars retired due to wheels that were not properly fitted. In 2013, a wheel came loose from Mark Webber’s car in the German Grand Prix pit lane and struck a cameraman, leading to a mandate for head protection for all pit crew members.
Mechanical failures involving the wheel nut or the gun itself can also be race-ending. At the 2021 Monaco Grand Prix, Valtteri Bottas was forced to retire because his Mercedes' wheel could not be removed due to a faulty wheel nut that had been machined down by the impact driver.
The design and usage of impact drivers vary across different motorsport disciplines based on technical regulations:
NASCAR: Prior to 2022, NASCAR required five traditional lug nuts per wheel, requiring tire changers to use Paoli impact wrenches to hit five separate targets rather than one.
IndyCar: Similar to F1, IndyCar uses a single lug nut. However, teams are prohibited from using overhead booms to support the air hoses for their impact wrenches. The "outside rear" tire changer must hold the hose up to prevent the car from running over it while simultaneously signaling the driver into the pit stall.
Super Formula: Due to a limit of six mechanics, the individuals operating the wheel guns must also assist in jacking up the car, often moving in an assembly-line fashion to complete the tyre change in approximately 10 to 14 seconds.