Though it feels like most of the drama in Formula One as of late has revolved around an energy drink megalomaniac who sponsors a team but refuses to pay a $US45,000 ($64,185) outstanding tab, this past weekend’s British Grand Prix was nonetheless a good show. And to top it off, the Red Bull F1 team managed a world record pit stop there.
It’s a four-tire change on Pierre Gasly’s car, and it took just 1.91 seconds. Hot damn!
Watch the video, but don’t blink.
F1 itself says it was a pretty narrow record win: the stop was 0.01 second quicker than the previous record, which was held by both Red Bull and Williams.
This gives Red Bull a “commanding lead” in something called the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award standings, which I didn’t know existed until now and doesn’t count toward team or driver points. But who cares? This is awesome to watch, and a great example of the ruthless speed and efficiency with which a top pit crew operates.
Of course, these pit stops could get longer if F1 brings back refuelling, a move that FIA president Jean Todt said might mean smaller, lighter cars that don’t have to carry all their race fuel at the start. But the teams are against that and refuelling at pit stops is an admittedly dangerous procedure, so I wouldn’t hold my breath there.
Who’s going to pull this off in 1.9 seconds flat?