Formula 1: Ferrari vs Red Bull vs Mercedes pit stops is an added concern for Toto Wolff: The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff has a new problem on his hands as Mercedes were too slow in their pit stops. The 2021 Constructors’ champions have plenty of problems to fix in order to make their car a challenger for race wins. But, one area which went hugely unnoticed was their pit stops. Follow Formula 1 Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Toto on the new wheel covers for the 2022 season said, “Not trivial to get into these rims with an impact wrench. That’s still no explanation that we’re not performing there. If we want to be at the front, then that has to work too.”
Formula 1: Ferrari vs Red Bull vs Mercedes Pit stops, added concerns for Toto Wolff as Mercedes execute slowest pit stops in Bahrain GP 2022
The Mercedes pit crew was arguably slower than rivals Ferrari and Red Bull. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell spent more time in the pits than their rivals. This is a problem that needs to be sorted out as quickly as possible for Mercedes.
Bravo! 👏 @ScuderiaFerrari pic.twitter.com/E77j69FMTe
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) March 20, 2022
All six drivers made three pit stops in the Bahrain Grand Prix which included the entry and the exit. Lewis Hamilton’s stop lasted 1:16.576 whereas George Russell’s were even slower at 1:16.796. Both the Mercedes drivers were over two seconds slower than Red Bull.
Max Verstappen, the reigning F1 champion, his stop lasted in the pits at 1:14.236. His team-mate Sergio Perez’s time in the pit lane lasted 1:14.166. Although, Perez had the quickest stop of the race at 24.2 seconds. It was a full second quicker than Hamilton’s average time of 25.5 seconds. The Red Bull crew did a great job in the pits knowing that this year’s tyres are heavier and bigger.
Then comes Ferrari, Charles Leclerc’s time in the pit lane lasted 1:14.152. Meanwhile, his teammate Carlos Sainz’s time in the pit lane lasted 1:13.391. Again, the time taken in the pit lane for Ferrari drivers was even better than Red Bull. This shows how much practice the Ferrari pit crew has gone through.
Formula 1: Ferrari vs Red Bull vs Mercedes Pit stops, added concerns for Toto Wolff as Mercedes execute slowest pit stops in Bahrain GP 2022
It was expected that the pit stops in the 2022 season would be slower than the previous years. It is because of the bigger wheels and the wheel covers. But, Mercedes is literally lagging behind with their pit times.
Toto Wolff said it was ‘not possible’ to achieve the speeds of the previous year. He also highlighted the increase in the weight of the front and the rear tyres. The front tyres are now three kilograms heavier and the rear tyres are four kilograms heavier.
Toto has even defended his mechanics and said Red Bull were three seconds or over in their pit stops. Previously they used to be around less than two seconds and Red Bull are also known for their quick stops.
Formula 1: Ferrari vs Red Bull vs Mercedes Pit stops, added concerns for Toto Wolff as Mercedes execute slowest pit stops in Bahrain GP 2022
