F1 News

Debate | New pit stop rules slow down teams and that doesn't suit F1

27 September 2021 at 21:08
  • GPblog.com

Since the Belgian Grand Prix, pit stops in Formula have changed. New protocols ensure that the teams' pit stops are slowed down.

Red Bull Racing are known for being the fastest team on the grid when it comes to pit stops. The team holds the world record for the fastest pit stop to their name, stopping in just 1.82 seconds with Max Verstappen at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. This season, the team also has the fastest time to their name at 1.88 seconds.

Since the new rules were introduced, Red Bull have only set the fastest pit stop at Zandvoort. At Monza, they finished second behind Mercedes with 2.49 seconds and last weekend in Sochi they were only fourth with 2.61 seconds. So the pitstops have become significantly slower and some people think that the new rules are mainly to Red Bull's disadvantage. According to Christian Horner, the competition wants to slow them down.

Safety of pit stops

Formula 1 is all about setting the fastest times and breaking records. According to the FIA the new pit stop rules are necessary in terms of safety, but the number of incidents caused by a pit stop is small. What do you think of the statement: Formula 1 is all about breaking records and the new, slowing pitstop rules don't fit in with that. Reply to the poll below and let your opinion be heard in the comment section.