Wider tires bring changes to pit stops

Formula 1® is getting a new look in 2017. The cars are faster and more aggressive – but what impact will the rule changes have on pit stops? Williams, the winner of the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award 2016, explains.

Formula 1 is entering a new era in 2017. The new-generation racers are wider, more spectacular and, above all, faster. Alongside aerodynamics, the tires also have a big part to play in the rule changes – in the truest sense of the word. Both the front and rear Pirelli tires are now 25% wider.

More grip, higher weight

Drivers love the enhanced mechanical grip, while fans love the aesthetic, which is reminiscent of the Formula 1 of times gone by. However, as always in life, there can be no advantage without disadvantage. Wider tires also mean more weight, which is why the minimum weight for Formula 1 cars has increased from 722 to 728 kg.

In 2017, a single rear tire weighs around 2 kg more than in the previous year, which is making life much harder for pit stop crews. “At extended arm’s length that feels more like 10 kg,” says Williams Sporting Manager Steve Nielsen in interview with DHL InMotion. “It requires more effort and it’s more physical to do it.”

“In an ideal world we’d get them into the gym more, but work schedules mean that we can’t,” continues Nielsen. Indeed, pit stop crews aren’t solely occupied with changing tires. “They are not dedicated gym bunnies, they are mechanics. The amount of time they can spend in the gym is limited by the fact that they are here to build race cars and travel around the world.”

Many subtle changes for 2017

Besides the circumference of the mechanics’ biceps, only a few details were altered in the tire change procedure over winter. Nonetheless, Williams – the winner of the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award 2016 – has made small adjustments to defend its title in 2017. “There are some very subtle changes in the choreography between the pit crew,” reveals Nielsen, “but to watch it, it will look the same.”

The new tire sizes don’t just require adjustments from the crew; tools also need to be adjusted. The wider tires also require wider rims, which in turn mean that the wheel nuts now sit deeper in the wheel than before. Williams spokesperson Nielsen adds: “There are lots of subtle changes, but they aren’t only related to wider tires, as we are constantly updating everything.”

Of course, the big question is what impact the wider, heavier tires will have on the pit stop times. Will the pace be slower in 2017 after the record times of the last years? During the past season, Williams achieved the fastest pit stop – in a legendary 1.92s. “We do hundreds, if not thousands, of practice pit stops. What we are seeing is that the ultimate time is the same. We were capable of 1.9s stops in practice last year and we did one of those at testing in Barcelona this year.”

Sweet spot more difficult to hit

However, it’s not all about making the best time; it’s far more important to ensure there are no upwards outliers, as these can destroy a race. Williams won the DHL Fastest Pit Stop Award 2016 with an incredible 14 of 21 fastest pit stops during the season. The pit stop crew only needed an average 2.70s for each stop. But all that could change in 2017.

 “What we are seeing though is a more scattered selection of times, whereas last year this was tighter,” explains Nielsen. “The bigger, heavier wheels make it more difficult to hit that sweet spot every time. It’s only March, and we have 20 races ahead and a lot of practice time, so that scatter will tighten up. So the consequence has not been that the tires have has slowed us down, but that it’s made it more difficult to hit that sweet spot every time.”

Formula 1 2017: New drivers and regulations