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Pitstops are an integral part of the sport of F1. A team's strategy, and sometimes even the results, depends on the pinpoint accuracy of these stops.
Pitstops did not gain prominence in the sport until the late 1980s. Before that, while they were still looked at as important, they weren't considered as something that would give the drivers a decisive edge in a race.
All of this changed when overtaking started to become a major challenge for cars and track position became the king. In such scenarios, strategies become important. What also became important was the amount of time a car spent in the pits. If that time was minimized, the overall race time would decrease as well, and it would help drivers gain track position. Many races were now decided by drivers having the perfect pitstop that brought them out in crucial positions onto the track.
With the refueling ban imposed in 2010, pitstops have become even more crucial with the crew responsible for only changing the tires in the minimum possible time. Since then, there has been a significant drop in pitstop time as teams have focussed on improving the efficiency factor in the races. In this feature, we will take a look at some of the fastest pitstop times in the history of the sport.
#5 Max Verstappen (2021 F1 Bahrain GP) - 1.93 seconds
Max Verstappen went through a lot of highs and lows in 2021. In that year's F1 Bahrain GP, one of the highs for him was notching up the fastest pitstop of the season and the fifth fastest pitstop of all time!
That season, the Red Bull driver finally had a car capable of fighting for the title. The team also brought its A-Game as he was serviced in just 1.93 seconds. It didn't help him win though, as he finished the race in second place, but it still laid down the marker for the rest of the season.
#4 Felipe Massa (2016 F1 European GP) - 1.92 seconds
Early in the Turbo-Hybrid era, Williams was making all the right moves. The team arguably had the second fastest car in the 2014 season. The Grove-based squad would maintain this level of competitiveness over the next couple of years.
Another area where the team excelled more than others was putting together spectacular pitstops. One of them was in Baku in 2016 where their driver Felipe Massa was serviced in just 1.93 seconds. It was a novelty at the time that made everyone in the paddock stand up and take notice of what the team was doing.
#3 Pierre Gasly (2019 F1 British GP) - 1.91 seconds
Pierre Gasly's mini-stint on the Red Bull senior team was a disappointment. The Frenchman had no answer to Max Verstappen's pace and often found himself fighting in the midfield rather than with the frontrunners.
Despite this, it's fair to say that the team still did its part as the 2019 F1 British GP saw Gasly getting his pitstop out of the way in just 1.91 seconds. The stop helped propel him to P4 in the race in a season where there weren't too many bright spots for the French driver.
#2 Max Verstappen (2019 F1 German GP) - 1.88 seconds
Max Verstappen's performance at the 2019 F1 German GP is remembered by many as a wet weather masterclass. What many forget, however, is that it was in this very race where his team stood out in terms of strategy as well as pitstops. The Red Bull driver was serviced in just 1.88 seconds, something that ultimately helped him beat Lewis Hamilton and secure the win.
#1 Max Verstappen (2019 F1 Brazilian GP) - 1.82 seconds
Max Verstappen's victory at the 2019 F1 Brazilian GP is remembered by everyone. The Red Bull driver dominated the race and overtook Lewis Hamilton twice before securing the win. What is often forgotten in all of this is the role the pitstop unit played as it saved the best for the day their driver needed it the most.
In a season where Red Bull continued to break barriers in terms of pitstop times, the team peaked in Brazil where it serviced the Dutch driver in just 1.82 seconds. This made it the fastest pitstop ever in the history of the sport.
