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In F1, every second counts. From driving fast to making the quickest pit stop, it's all teamwork. Any unit's failure can ultimately cost the whole team, as in the past. While the driver handles things on-track, all eyes are on the pit crew as soon as he enters the pit lane.
Every F1 team has its pit crew. The unit is responsible for primarily changing the four wheels that are worn out during any race. Sometimes, however, the crew also refuels, handles mechanical changes and punishments, and can make other tweaks to the car mid-race.
Each team consists of almost 20 pit crew members. They must function at their best and carry out tire changes as quickly as possible. Usually, the average time for a pit stop in F1 is 2-3 seconds, though it can vary for several reasons.
A driver loses his race when a pit stop goes longer than its standard time. We all know that many of the best have suffered this fate and lost maybe places or even a win. Let's find out which are some of the longest pit-stops to have happened in F1 history:
1) Valtteri Bottas's F1 2021 Monaco GP debacle
Valtteri Bottas ran in second place at the 2021 F1 Monaco GP for the longest time. As teammate Lewis Hamilton struggled to overtake the lower positions, he spearheaded the Mercedes challenge. The Finn could've potentially won the race too.
By Lap 29, the Silver Arrows had called Hamilton in to pit as he lost further places. Then on Lap 30, Bottas was asked to pit. Surprisingly, while three of his tires were put on timely, Bottas's right front-off refused to come out. Even though the pit crew tried their best, the tire did not budge.
The Finn was out of the race immediately and made history by clocking in the longest pit stop of all time. It was about 43 hours and 15 minutes long. The stuck wheel nut that cost Bottas his race could only be removed later.
2) Rubens Barrichello's ups and downs at the F1 2001 Malaysian GP
Brazilian F1 legend Rubens Barrichello was a Ferrari pilot in the early 2000s. He partnered with the formidable Michael Schumacher. The driver played a pivotal role in the team's back-to-back championship wins. However, Barrichello was not without problems despite being an often front-row starter.
The 2001 Malaysian GP proved to be a problem for the driver. His race-winning chances were hampered by rain and a slow pit stop. Both he and Schumacher were called to the pits as Ferrari wanted a double stack.
However, they were not ready with tires for Barrichello, and they fumbled to find them in the garage. The pit stop went over a minute as the Brazilian dropped down to 11th on the grid (from third).
While Barrichello eventually recovered to finish second behind Schumacher, he could've won the race if not for the slow pit stop.
3) Esteban Tuero's infamous pit stop in Argentina
Esteban Tuero is a former Argentine racing driver. At 19, he joined Minardi F1 in 1998 and raced for one season with them. He was then the third youngest driver ever to race in Formula 1.
However, his home Grand Prix in Buenos Aires would be disastrous for him. The Minardi crew was not ready with the tire set when he pitted for new ones. They fumbled around the garage to try and assemble them. Notably, the team brought out the front right exceptionally late.
Tuero had to wait 42 seconds in the pit lane before finally being released. However, none of it was fruitful, as he retired later in the race by spinning off.
4) Eddie Irvine's team call blunder at the 1999 F1 European GP
Eddie Irvine spearheaded Ferrari's titular stint in 1999. Post teammate Michael Schumacher's accident, he became one of the favorites to win the championship that year.
However, he had a terrible F1 European GP finishing out of points, affecting his championship standings. The driver was struggling a lot due to wet conditions. He wanted to shift to wets, informing the team and pitting earlier than planned.
The pit crew then came out with just three wet tires and realized the mistake a little late. They finally found the front right tire that had been missing. Surprisingly, the team wasted extra time trying to determine if they were using the same set of tires or not. Ervine stood there for almost 30 seconds and finished P7.
5) Carlos Sainz's unlucky day at the 2022 Dutch GP
Carlos Sainz had a Dutch GP to forget this year. While he qualified for P3, the Spaniard finished in P8 after a terrible pit stop with his team Ferrari. The driver pitted very early on Lap 15.
However, the team was not ready with his tires and had to hold Sainz for a long time. Meanwhile, a Ferrari wheel gun was left out, causing Sergio Perez to run over it. The team finally found the tires and released Sainz after a stop time of 12.7 seconds.
The Spaniard would later also pick up a five-second penalty owing to an unsafe release in the pitlane. The driver was very unlucky that day.
