Red Bull anger over rule change

The current world record for a pit stop is 1,82 seconds. This best time was set in 2019 in Sao Paolo, Brazil - by Red Bull. This year, the 2-second mark has already been beaten three times, again all of these stops were made by Red Bull. The quick execution of tire changes gave Red Bull a competitive advantage in the fight for the constructors' world championship, especially since its direct competitor Mercedes is outside the top 10 in terms of best times.

Now, through a directive from the FIA motorsport association, the safety of pit stops is to be increased - and the stops are thus artificially slowed down. “We have been very strong in this area, we hold the world record for pit stops, we have made the majority of the fastest stops this year and that is no coincidence. I find that a bit disappointing,” said Red Bull team boss Christian Horner at a press conference before the Styrian Grand Prix in Spielberg. “If you're in a competitive situation and they can't beat you, then the logical conclusion of your competitors is that they're trying to slow you down. That’s apparently what’s happening here.” Red Bull senses influence from Mercedes The newly introduced rule, which will apply from Hungary (August 01st, 15 p.m.), is intended to slow down the processes at pit stops, but reduce the risk for the mechanics involved. Accordingly, the car may only be lowered again when all four tires have been completely installed. A buffer of 0,2 seconds should now be installed between lowering and the green light signal. Mercedes is said to have had a hand in it. © APA/afp / JOE KLAMAR

For those responsible at Red Bull, the explanation is just a fake argument. “It is our duty to ensure that the car is safe anyway. And the penalty for not fitting a wheel correctly is that the car will stop immediately. “That’s a brutal punishment,” Horner explained. “So I’m not sure what the purpose of this directive is.” Racing team consultant Helmut Marko suspects the influence of competitor Mercedes behind this decision. Silver Arrows are already working on a new strategy Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff, however, clearly sided with the FIA and emphasized that the artificial slowing would not make too much of a difference in the race. “Quick pit stops are nice and look cool, but I'm not 100% sure they make that much of a difference in performance because we're talking about a tenth or two on average.”

The fact that the Silver Arrows are already adapting to the upcoming rule change was evident in an incident in the second free practice session in Spielberg. Valtteri Bottas lost all traction after a pit stop and spun dangerously in the pit lane. When asked by the FIA, the Finn said the following: “We lost time in the pits recently. So they wanted to try something new, specifically driving away in second gear. As a result, the wheelspin was much more severe and the result was unpredictable.” Bottas was given a three-place penalty for the incident.

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Red Bull anger over rule change

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