F1 teams compete just as fiercely in the garages as they do on track, and pit stops are another way in which teams look for a marginal edge every weekend.
A huge amount of effort goes into ensuring the teams are primed to perform in every area possible, and pit stops are no exception, with times getting faster and faster after refuelling was removed from the sport.
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McLaren broke the world record for the fastest ever F1 pit stop at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, changing all four tyres on Lando Norris’ car and sending him on his way again in just 1.80 seconds.
This beat the previous benchmark set by Red Bull in the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix of 1.82s, and McLaren’s world record is arguably all the more impressive given the extra effort required to manoeuvre the bigger, heavier 18-inch wheels introduced in 2022.
Introduced in 2015 from Formula 1 sponsors DHL, the Fastest Pit Stop crown rewards the teams who excel in the pit lane over the course of the season by consistently producing fast pit stops for their drivers.
The teams are ranked by their pit stop speed at every race and the quickest individual pit stops for each driver are ranked, with points awarded for the top 10 in the same fashion as they are in the Drivers’ Championship, as follows:
1st: 25
2nd: 18
3rd: 15
4th: 12
5th: 10
6th: 8
7th: 6
8th: 4
9th: 2
10th: 1
Red Bull are the undisputed kings of this award, having won the crown for six years in a row – and it’s up to the rest of the field to topple their pit crew in 2024.
Ferrari have got off to a flying start in the pit lane, with their quickest stops for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz topping the standings from the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend.
Red Bull were third and fourth quickest, not far behind the Scuderia, setting almost identical times and showing they’re dead set on winning this title for a seventh consecutive season if they can.
In Saudi Arabia, Red Bull had the quickest stop of the race – and they really needed to, as it happened as Max Verstappen came in to change tyres under the Safety Car, with teammate Sergio Perez right behind him in the pitlane as Red Bull double-stacked their cars.
Despite the pressure, Red Bull got Verstappen turned around and set off again in just 2.44 seconds – not enough to trouble the quickest times from Bahrain, but still a top 10 time. Perez’s stop was only a third of a second slower, 2.70 seconds, meaning a Red Bull 1-3 in Saudi Arabia – hugely impressive considering the circumstances.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton had the second-quickest pitstop in Saudi Arabia, coming on Lap 36 when he pitted, with a stop time of 2.51 seconds.
Here’s the season’s top 10 in full so far:
1: Ferrari – Leclerc – Bahrain – 2.23s
2: Ferrari – Sainz – Bahrain – 2.27s
3: Red Bull – Verstappen – Bahrain – 2.27s
4: Red Bull – Perez – Bahrain – 2.29s
5: McLaren – Norris – Bahrain – 2.33s
6: RB – Tsunoda – Bahrain – 2.34s
7: Ferrari – Leclerc – Bahrain – 2.37s*
8: Red Bull – Verstappen – Saudi Arabia – 2.44s
9: RB – Tsunoda – Bahrain – 2.51s*
10: Mercedes – Hamilton – Bahrain – 2.51s
*Did not count towards DHL points standings, due to it not being the fastest stop for that individual driver in the race.
[Correct as of 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix]
1. Red Bull – 67 points
2. Ferrari – 45 points
3. Mercedes – 34 points
4. McLaren – 16 points
5. Haas – 16 points
6. Aston Martin – 14 points
7. RB – 9 points
8. Alpine – 1 point
9. Sauber – 0 points
10. Williams – 0 points
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