Pit stops are now longer: good news for McLaren!

Yesterday, the FIA introduced a new regulation regarding pit stops. This will take effect at the Hungarian Grand Prix and will require teams to limit automations during tire changes.

From now on, the teams will have to abide by a certain time in two criteria. The first delay of 0.15 seconds must be respected between the moment the nut is tightened and the moment the mechanic lifting the car receives the information. The second observation time will be the moment the car lowers and when the driver takes off. The waiting time will then be at least two tenths.

With this new rule, the safety of mechanics and drivers should be increased and will prevent a serious incident in the pit lane. This Friday, McLaren’s director, Andreas Seidl, welcomes the decision made by the FIA.

« The safety of our mechanics is one of the most important things. F1 is extremely competitive, and I therefore think that it is good to further clarify what the FIA expects in terms of regulations. I don’t think it will change much for us because we had already adopted a conservative approach to ensure that none of our mechanics are put in danger, », he said.

This season, no serious incident has occurred in the pit lane, while the times achieved by some teams – such as Red Bull – are approaching and can even drop below two seconds. The Austrian team currently holds the fastest pit stop of the year with 1.93 seconds.

While victory can depend on a good pit stop, Andreas Seidl ensures that this preventive measure will ensure the safety of the mechanics.

« One of the reasons why we welcome the initiatives of the FIA is that it is also important to anticipate troubles or safety problems, and not always wait for them to occur before reacting. Therefore, we are very satisfied. In the way we carry out pit stops, it is about exploring what has been authorized by the regulations, while ensuring the safety of our mechanics.