There's always something going on in the pits

"Something Always Happens in the Pits" is Jack’s eyewitness account of a year in which the coronavirus had Formula 1 in its grip. It features stories about how RTL Germany seemed to already know that the Melbourne Grand Prix wouldn’t go ahead, about racing in a simulator, and about the lobbying campaign he and Olav waged to finally be allowed back to the circuits. But of course, it also covers the behind-the-scenes stories of all the races, Lewis’s seventh title, Max’s patience, Fernando Alonso’s comeback, the blaze from which Romain Grosjean miraculously emerged, and what on earth was going on at Ferrari? As the Netherlands’ premier pit reporter, Jack Plooij has seen his fair share of racing action, but 2020 is a year he won’t soon forget. It was supposed to be a season like any other, with the usual speculation about a world championship for Max, undoubtedly more drama at Ferrari, and, by the end of the season, Lewis Hamilton once again standing alone at the top. Things turned out just a little differently. First, there was that nerve-wracking heart surgery that was supposed to get Jack back on his feet, and then there was that weekend at Melbourne Park, where the plug was pulled on the F1 season at the very last moment. The coronavirus took the whole circus by storm. Jack hadn’t even returned yet when everything went into lockdown here, too. The dental practice closed, no more Formula 1, and no more theater tour with Olav. But giving up isn’t Jack’s style. Together with Olav and a bunch of other racing buddies, he threw himself into simulator racing; a YouTube channel was soon added to the mix, and plans were hatched with the owners of Hotel Huis ter Duin. Behind the scenes, of course, they were also working feverishly toward the postponed start of the season. Because Jack wanted to get back to the pits!