The FIA issued a technical directive at the end of June informing the teams that they will slow down pit stops and restrict automated processes for safety reasons.
The new regulation was due to come into effect from the Hungarian Grand Prix this weekend, but in an update released at Silverstone, Formula 1 lawmakers decided to move it to the other side of the Belgian Grand Prix summer break.
McLaren has always supported efforts to slow down pit stops and believes it is advisable to take steps to improve safety before an accident occurs.
Seidl welcomed the “good and constructive discussion” between the teams and the FIA about the decision to postpone the new rules to Spa, as it offered a larger window of time to adjust to the measures.
“Due to the special situation we are in with COVID, it is not so easy at the moment to return to the factories and train together with the crew for the changes that were initially in the TD,” said Seidl. “That’s why in the end I think it makes sense to postpone it and use the longer break to give each team more time to prepare for the change.”
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In addition to delaying the introduction, changes have also been made to the technical guideline by removing some of the minimum time requirements originally set and enforcing measures such as a manual signal from each wheel gun that the tire has been securely attached.
McLaren’s pit crew struggled with Lando Norris’ only stop during the British Grand Prix earlier this month, with a slow service that left the British driver behind Valtteri Bottas on the track.
Norris had looked like he was going to take a podium but ended up finishing fourth after leaving Bottas home.
“It was a hardware problem that we had, nothing to do with the performance of the crew, who have made great pit stops, especially in the last two months after we made good progress,” explained Seidl. “It was a hardware problem, a cross-threaded wheel nut that we haven’t seen in a long time, so we need to analyze exactly what happened there.
“But I’m grateful for all the training the crew has done along with the hardware improvements over the past few years. That meant it was a delayed pit stop, but not a catastrophic pit stop like the past.
“Of course we don’t want it to happen, but if it does, at least it’s safe and allows us to stay in the race.”
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