After executing the fastest tire change ever performed in Formula 1, McLaren is aiming at making even faster pit stops next season, according to British motorsport magazine, Autosport.
The McLaren crew changed all four Pirelli tires on Jenson Button's McLaren MP4-27 in just 2.3 seconds during this year's Grand Prix of Germany at the Hockenheimring.
In an article posted on their site on Tuesday, Autosport asked McLaren's sporting director, Australian, Sam Michael if pit-stop times were now near the limit of physical possibility.
"They are, but it's not hard enough at this point that we can't see a lot of things to change,” the mechanical engineer replied.
“Our target for next year is 2.0-second pit stops. We've got a few technology changes for next year, but already compared to our preparation for the first race, next year will be completely different from this year. Our objective is to get there during the winter so that 2.0-second tire changes are normal rather than flash in the pan,” Michael explained.
To accomplish this, the team needs to design new equipment such as wheel nuts, wheel hubs, lifts, and maybe airguns.
Why this obsession to make faster pit stops?
"When it's so close, with 50 milliseconds here or there, pit stops make a big difference to the race outcome. Saving half a second is massive,” Sam Michael explained.
The McLaren crew changed all four Pirelli tires on Jenson Button's McLaren MP4-27 in just 2.3 seconds during this year's Grand Prix of Germany at the Hockenheimring.
In an article posted on their site on Tuesday, Autosport asked McLaren's sporting director, Australian, Sam Michael if pit-stop times were now near the limit of physical possibility.
 |
| Photo: McLaren |
"They are, but it's not hard enough at this point that we can't see a lot of things to change,” the mechanical engineer replied.
“Our target for next year is 2.0-second pit stops. We've got a few technology changes for next year, but already compared to our preparation for the first race, next year will be completely different from this year. Our objective is to get there during the winter so that 2.0-second tire changes are normal rather than flash in the pan,” Michael explained.
To accomplish this, the team needs to design new equipment such as wheel nuts, wheel hubs, lifts, and maybe airguns.
Why this obsession to make faster pit stops?
"When it's so close, with 50 milliseconds here or there, pit stops make a big difference to the race outcome. Saving half a second is massive,” Sam Michael explained.