What’s the longest pit stop in F1 history?

In F1, every second matters. When the drivers go into the pits, all the attention is on their crew to get the car back on track as quickly as possible.

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The four tires currently have to be changed during a pit stop. In some cases, the front wing of the vehicle must also be changed.

F1 is a team sport that is visible during pit stops. Each team has a crew of almost 20 people.

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A pit stop in motorsport can be an interruption in refueling, new tires, mechanical changes or a punishment. It can even be a mix of the above. In Formula 1, refueling during the race has been restricted since 2010. Vehicles usually stop to change tires.

A pit stop can be planned either unplanned or suddenly, depending on the racing situation. A car usually pits once or twice, depending on the racetrack.

At the point where the vehicle is approximately one lap from the pit lane entrance, the crew will build up new tires and all of the materials necessary for a successful pit stop.

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Stops can often be longer in the current F1 when parts need to be replaced, when there is a problem with the wheel nut, or when the front wing needs an oversteer or understeer arrangement.

The pit stop time also increases if a driver suffers a punctured tire. Sometimes there is dirt that needs to be removed from the racing car. Every second lost brings misery to the driver.

Current records of F1 pit stops

An F1 pit stop usually lasts 2 to 3 seconds. Nowadays, Red Bull relies entirely on the art of pit stops. The group made pit stops under 2 seconds and various teams look at the Red Bull team in amazement.

Red Bull Racing holds the current world record for the fastest pit stop with a stop of 1.82 seconds at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. It was listed on Max Verstappen’s Red Bull.

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– Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@ MercedesAMGF1) May 27, 2021

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The longest pit stop of all time in F1 is with the reigning champions. It was the pit stop for the Mercedes F1 team during the Monaco Grand Prix in 2021.

This took about 43 hours and 15 minutes because a wheel nut was stuck. Because of this wheel nut, Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas had to withdraw from the race.

All in all, it was a bizarre way to retire from the race. This did a lot of damage to the Mercedes F1 group. The group lost their position to the Red Bull F1 group in both the driver and team titles.

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Valtteri Bottas finished second at the Monaco Grand Prix when the pit stop occurred. The tire was removed at the Mercedes factory in Brackley with expert equipment.