Have the FIA made pitstops better or worse?

A recent initiative was taken by the FIA in order to make pitstops safer but has it really worked? Well, it is hard to see whether they have made them safer however there seems to be a couple of problems that have spouted from this new electrical system.

The FIA were worried that pitstops were becoming too quick and that it was going to become way to unsafe for both the drivers and the mechanics. This is so tyres don't come off the car putting everyone in the pitlane at risk.

It was first introduced to the Belgian GP but that race was a complete wash out so not much information could be taken from it however in the recent races in Italy and Russia, there has been a clear difference in the usual rapid stops. You know something has changed when, the current pitstop kings, Red Bull have not been able to get anywhere near their 1.93 second pitstop made in Bahrain earlier in the year.

There have been instances where a slow pitstop, because of a problem the teams have had with the new system, has caused the race to turn on its head. A clear example of this would be in Monza where the two title protagonists came together ending one another's race. But, this would have never possibly happened if it wasn't for the slow pitstop made by the Red Bull Racing pit crew. It was found to be a fault that was involved with this system where they forgot to press a button that has been added as a part of this next step in regulations. This ultimately cost Max Verstappen valuable seconds wasted in a 10 second stop time which is far from normal.

Similarly, another instance where a slow stop for Ricciardo in Sochi meant that he lost a big chunk of time which saw Hamilton ease past him without having to perform an overtake. All mechanics had given the OK for the tyres but Danny Ric still sat there waiting for the green light. It also makes a big difference if you are leading the race as it will more than likely cost you the win. But this is yet to happen so we will find out the pain caused in the future.

It is hard to tell if this has been an improvement to the sport of Formula 1 although at least it means that everyone has become safer and that no pit lane incidents cause big accidents possibly fatalities. It does mean that there is a bit more excitement with the chance of a slow stop but it's not the best if the team you support has a slow stop!

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