Endurance craft
Driver change
The mid-stop swap of drivers, practiced to cost nothing beyond the stop's other work.
A driver change is the choreography of getting one driver out, the next one in, belted, plugged in and configured, ideally inside the time the car was stationary anyway for energy and tyres. Crews rehearse it like a pit crew skill of its own, because a botched belt or a snagged radio lead costs real seconds.
The rules require each crew member to drive within limits: sporting regulations set minimum and maximum drive time over a race, so changes are also a compliance matter. Timing sheets attribute every lap to the driver at the wheel, which is how per-driver pace comparisons within one car become possible.
Part of the WEC Engine glossary. Questions with longer answers live in Answers.