As much as a driver plays his role out on the track, an F1 team’s pit crew is sometimes the differentiating factor between winning races and coming in second. In a world of sub-2 second pitstops, modern F1 is at its peak of how quickly a group of people can service a car with four tires coming off and four going on.
Last weekend’s Mexican Grand Prix was a showcase of just that, as McLaren managed to blow away the competition in the pit lane with two of the event’s fastest pitstops with a time of 1.98 and 2.29 seconds stationary. Receiving the DHL Fastest Pitstop Award for their efforts in pit lane, the Woking-based racing outfit managed to beat the undisputed pitstop kings of the past few years, Red Bull Racing.
Red Bull, however, hold the record for the fastest pitstop recorded in F1 history – at 1.82 seconds. The Austrian team serviced Max Verstappen’s car during the 2019 Brazilian GP in record time, eventually aiding the Dutchman win the race. Meanwhile, the coordination between the papaya pit crew in Mexico was such that while Daniel Ricciardo benefitted from the fastest stop of the race, Lando Norris came in a close second courtesy of his pit crew as well.
Considering the gap is miniscule despite the bigger 18-inch wheel and tire package seen in the sport now, personnel in the pit lane seem to be catching up to the increased overall weight and size of the tires themselves. This is a testament to how efficient an F1 pit crew is, with the record being set with the prior 13-inch package by Red Bull Racing. The Milton Keynes-based team did not have a great day in the pits last Sunday, with a slow stop for home hero Sergio Perez meaning he lost vital track position, which ultimately cost the Mexican a possible P2 finish.
Ferrari second quickest in the pits during last weekend’s F1 race in Mexico City
The runner-up to the fastest pit stop at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez was the scarlet red team Scuderia Ferrari, who punched in a 2.34-second pitstop for Charles Leclerc. Despite having an off weekend where the Maranello-based racing outfit’s package was not particularly suited to the high altitudes of Mexico City, the pit crew in red kept their A-game ready.
The only other team to have two of their pitstops in the top-10 fastest times was Aston Martin, which saw both its drivers finish out of the points-awarding positions in P14 and P15.
The F1 circus is next slated to return to Brazil’s Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace after a week-long break in time for the Brazillian Grand Prix.
What’s your favorite race of the 2022 season so far? Tell us in the comments below..
Quick links
More from Sportskeeda
