How long is the season?
The Formula 1 calendar for the 2019 season has 21 races scheduled. The season will begin in Australia on March 17th and finish on December 1st in Abu Dhabi. Most races are two weeks apart but some are on back-to-back weekends. There is also nearly a month’s gap between the Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest on August 4th, and the Belgian Grand Prix in Monza on September 1st.
What are pit stops for?
A pit stop is where a racing vehicle stops in the pits during a race for refuelling, new tyres, repairs, mechanical adjustments, as a penalty or a combination of the above. A pit stop needs to be extremely quick in order for the team to stay competitive in races as every second matters. Up to 20 people work together to change wheels, add fuel etc. All teams usually do this under three seconds.
World Record Pit Stop Time: This record is held by Williams F1, which they secured in Baku City in 2016 when they changed Felipe Massa’s tyres in only 1.89 seconds.
The rules of the pit lane:
• For safety reasons there is a pit-lane speed limit of 80km/h at all grands prix
• Any driver who exceeds the speed limit during any practice session will be fined up to €100 for each km/h above the limited, up to a maximum of €1000. Speeding during the race will incur a time or driver-through penalty.
• Apart from drying or sweeping, teams are forbidden from improving the grip of their pit-stop position
• Personnel are only allowed in the pit lane immediately before a pit stop and must withdraw to their garages immediately after
• No powered device may be used to list any part of the car in the pit lane during a race
Top 10 fastest pit stops of 2018:
12 | MANE AUTOMOTIVE, F1 & MOTORSPORT | MARCH 2019
FACTS