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Sergio Perez, Red Bull Racing RB16B, makes a pit stop
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Special feature

How pitstops evolved into an F1 art form

A Formula 1 pitstop is a rapid-fire blend of high technology and human performance. PAT SYMONDS describes how the science of margin gains makes stops so quick

How long has it taken you to read this sentence? There are many ways of expressing time and you might answer 'just under three seconds' or you might say 'a little longer than the Red Bull team generally takes to change all four wheels on one of its cars at a pitstop'. In Hungary, Red Bull set its fastest time of the season, completing a tyre-change in just 1.88 seconds.

So fast are F1 pitstops now that the FIA has had its interest awakened and has issued further directives on what is regarded as acceptable practice, explaining how much automation can be used and what human intervention is necessary to ensure safety takes precedence over speed.

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