In Formula 1, a pit stop is more than just changing tyres it is a part where every move is timed to perfection. When a race car enters the pit lane it goes under maintenance, such as tire changes, minor repairs, or adjustments. But how do teams manage to service a car in less than two seconds?
How much time it takes for pitstop on F1?
Pit stops in modern F1 are typically between 2.2 seconds. They don’t just happen by chance, there’s a huge amount of planning and teamwork behind each one.
How does a pit stop work in F1?
As soon as the pit crew gets the call, the garage bursts into action. They have around 15–20 seconds to get into position, prepare the tyres, and check that all tools especially the tyre guns are ready to go. Even the layout of where each crew member sits in the garage is carefully planned to avoid collisions during this hectic prep time.
The front of the car hits the jack just before stopping at around 0.1 seconds. The jack operator lifts the car, absorbs its momentum, and steps aside quickly to let the car leave freely later.
By 0.8 seconds, they’ve already started moving out of the way, and by 2.1 seconds, they hit the release button to drop the car back to the ground just as it’s ready to launch back into the race.
The rear jack operator moves just after the front they can't act until the car passes them. But they’re already in motion, lining up to lift the rear end right as it stops.
This role is tough the cars are heavy and sit low to the ground, which means more force is needed to get them up. Still, the rear is lifted by about 0.4 seconds into the stop and dropped again by 2.1 seconds.
Who are the pitcrew members?
Pit crew members aren’t just specialists they’re often regular mechanics and technicians from the team. Their roles in the pit stop are chosen based on strengths.
