F1 is a sport where every tenth of a second counts. This is why pitstops in the sport are the fastest in the world. Red Bull are famously known as the master of the pit stop. However, recently McLaren made an impressively quick stop that has caught the attention of fans and the paddock.
Due to a major miscalculation by Pirelli, the FIA made it mandatory for drivers to pit at least 3 times during the race. In addition to this, the drivers were not allowed to use a single compound for more than 18 laps. As the race was 57 laps, there were plenty of pitstops seen at the Qatar Grand Prix. However, one particular pit stop seemingly caught everyone’s attention.
During the race, when McLaren called Lando Norris into the pit on lap 27, the team performed something that no team had ever done. They completed the pitstop in just 1.80 seconds. This came as a shock to everyone in the paddock.
NEW ⭐️ WORLD ⭐️ RECORD#F1 @McLarenF1 pic.twitter.com/FjmbesrGhl
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2023
Before the Qatar Grand Prix, Red Bull was known to be the master of the pit stop. They have completed a total of 22 pit stops under 2 seconds. They originally had the record for the fastest pit stop which was completed in 1.82 seconds during the Brazilian Grand Prix in 2019. McLaren completed their pit stop in Qatar in 1.8 seconds. McLaren has broken the record for the fastest pit stop.
Why McLaren’s latest F1 achievement deserves more appreciation
When the 2022 season started, no one thought they would see a pit stop under 2 seconds for a while. This was mainly because, in 2022, the FIA implemented a rule that required the size of the wheel to be 18 inches. This made the wheel much heavier, hence making pit stops slower.
When Red Bull made their 1.82-second pit stop in 2019, the wheels were only 13 inches. This is considerably much lighter when compared to the modern F1 wheels. The 18-inch wheels are reportedly 700 grams heavier than the 13-inch wheels. While this weight may seem small to the average citizen, it is enormous in the sport of Formula 1.
On Sunday, @McLarenF1 produced the fastest pit stop of ALL TIME! 😱
A ridiculous 1.80s stop for @LandoNorris earns them the @DHL_Motorsports Fastest Pit Stop in Qatar!
2023 leaderboard 👉https://t.co/F2dWiQGk6K#QatarGP #F1 #MomentsThatDeliver pic.twitter.com/AUKUv8VjIs
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2023
The car itself is much heavier today than in 2019. The regulation change in 2022 made the car over 440 pounds heavier than the 2021 car. This makes it more difficult for the pit crew to lift the car. This has also affected the pit times in 2022 and this season. These are the reasons why McLaren’s record-breaking pit stop in Qatar is more impressive than Red Bull’s pit stop in 2019.
until the Qatar Grand Prix, Red Bull was the only team to make a pit stop under 2 seconds this season. Their fastest pit stop came in Hungary with a time of 1.98 seconds. The Austrian outfit has had the fastest pit stop in the race 8 times this season. McLaren on the other hand has done it only 4 times including Qatar.