Rallying is one of the riskiest motor racing activities around. Drivers rush along small public highways surrounded with dirt, gravel, and ice at up to 100 miles an hour. They run one after the other and not just drivers, but hundreds of meters of short hops around tight blind corners.
A co-driver is a rally car navigator who sits in the front seat in the rally sport. The co-driver task is to sail, usually by reading the driver a series of pace notes, like what is ahead, how to turn, how severe the turn is, and what hurdles to watch for. Some contests include cartography. Because of the extreme noise in the vehicle, the conversation is often through a radio headset. The co-driver advises the driver of any more injuries and collisions on the stage in high-end rally competitions such as the WRC.
Co-drivers are often used in road parts and particular phases to carry out repairs such as wheel change. The pits were also recorded and found inside the vehicle. If the car is out of fuel or somehow broke down, the mechanic typically had to race back to the pits to pick up fuel or the requisite replacement parts.
Facts
Just as pilots on aircraft have their copilots, a rally driver sits next to them during each race. The co-driver's critical task is to read a set of "pace notes," which the driver uses when navigating the phases, loudly. These are the notes that allow the driver to proceed at full speed without hesitating in the track's risky areas to have the best time.One of the co-driver's main occupations begins days before the race even starts during a "recce" operation. During recce, the driver and co-driver take a car off, and they go out on the stage roads to write the notes as they race. Thus, 35 mph are usually the tops at low altitudes. The psychological stress, which only takes 100 percent of the time, often focuses on the road in front of you for 45 minutes to an hour. But although the reception can appear time intensive and enthusiastic, errors or challenges during reception may lead to major disasters.