The new pit stop procedure behind Verstappen’s slow stop in Monza
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner reveals that the human error that caused Max Verstappen's botched pit stop originated from decisions by the FIA introduced at Spa-Francorchamps.
We know a little more about Red Bull’s slow pit stop at the Italian Grand Prix. In late June, the FIA informed the teams that they wanted to slow down pit stops for safety reasons by removing certain elements of automation. A blow for the Austrian team as they have a reputation for being the fastest team in the pits.
At Monza, Red Bull completely missed Verstappen’s pit stop, while he was in first place. An 11-second stop that pushed the Dutchman back several places. After the race, Christian Horner had mentioned a human error, but he finally reveals that it was an error stemming from the technical directive of the FIA.
« There is a rare human error during our pit stop, due to the new technical directive. Nonetheless, it is something we must learn from. This slower than expected pit stop made us go back on track at an unplanned location. Mercedes worsened this situation with their poor pit stop. » explained Horner to Motorsport journalists.
With these missed stops, the two drivers came out side by side, abandoning a few meters further, the two drivers in the gravel trap. Following this incident, Verstappen received a three-place grid penalty for the Russian Grand Prix.
