What does box mean in F1?
The pit box is an extremely important part of the pinnacle of motor racing.
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Fernando Alonso at Spa (Via IMAGO)
Formula 1 has been around since the 1950s and, over the years, has become a top motorsports racing category. The fans’ engagement with the sport has increased 10-fold recently, and while there are many aspects to it, the pit box is also an extremely crucial element.
Whenever, during a Grand Prix, the pit wall of a team asks an F1 driver to box, it usually means that the driver has been asked to dive into the pits for a change of tires. This is an extremely crucial element of a race as it has the capacity to make or break a driver’s Grand Prix outing.
Moreover, keeping in view how much the pinnacle of motor racing has evolved, especially in the last decade, a team really can’t function in an effective way without a competent pit crew because they are the ones who are entrusted with the duties of making tire changes within a span of a few seconds.
Pitstops during a race can vary from 1-3 depending on the type of circuit. The tracks, which are usually more prone to high tire degradation, see multiple pitstops. In contrast, tracks with low degradation allow F1 teams to operate even by asking their drivers to box only once during a Grand Prix.
Top 5 fastest pitstops in F1 history
5. Red Bull – 1.88 seconds
Starting from the south end to the north, the first name on this list is that of the Red Bull F1 team. The Christian Horner-led outfit pulled off a breathtaking 1.88 seconds pitstop during the 2019 German Grand Prix. At that time, they had called Max Verstappen into the pits, and Red Bull’s pit crew did the rest.
4. Red Bull – 1.86 seconds
The Red Bull Formula 1 team dominates this list, and the fourth fastest pitstop also goes to them. At the famous Russian Grand Prix in 2020, the Austrian outfit was at it again as they pulled off a pitstop within only 1.86 seconds.
3. Red Bull – 1.86 seconds
Once again, it’s Red Bull who has got the third-fastest pitstop in the pinnacle of motor racing to themselves. During the Portuguese Grand Prix of the 2020 Formula 1 season, the Red Bull crew pulled another brilliant pitstop with a time of just 1.86 seconds and received immense applause back then for it.
2. Red Bull – 1.82 seconds
With three blistering pitstops out of the way, the list is down to the last two. However, one thing that has not changed is that it is once again the mighty Red Bull team that has found itself on this top 5 fastest pit stop list. At the 2019 Brazil Grand Prix, the Austrian team’s pit crew pulled off a pitstop on Max Verstappen‘s car within 1.82 seconds.
1. McLaren – 1.80 seconds
While the Red Bull Formula 1 team has dominated the list, the top spot on this list does not go to them. It goes to the Woking-based McLaren F1 team, who managed a pitstop within 1.8 seconds during the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix. Their pit crew performed this magic on their star driver, Lando Norris’s MCL60.
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Rishabh Negi
(3244 Articles Published)