DHL FASTEST PIT STOP AWARD

Red Bull are simply the best in battle for the DHL Fastest Pit Stop in Japan

It was engine partner Honda’s home race, and Red Bull Racing’s performance as a team in the Japanese Grand Prix could not have been better. Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez booked the top two places both in qualifying and in the race itself, plus the DHL Fastest Lap. And they produced the perfect performance as a team by executing the DHL Fastest Pit Stop into the bargain.

Verstappen and Perez came into the pits four times during the race to bolt on fresh tires in a race characterized by high tire wear, and Red Bull’s crew sent them back out on their way in a faultless manner - four times in all, starting with a 2.16 seconds for Perez and a 2.17-second stop for Verstappen, but things were about to get even better.

By the time they came in for their second stops, the two drivers had pulled well clear of the pack and a one-two finish was in the bag to all intents and purposes. To ensure that there were no lingering doubts in anyone’s mind about their dominance, the mechanics first executed a 2.13-second stop for Perez, and then went on to wind up their afternoon’s work with a 2.08-second stop for Verstappen, making that particular pit stop the best so far of 2024.

Red Bull have posted the five fastest stops of the year with four of them achieved in Japan. There’s no way that the competition can possibly keep up. “It was a great team performance today; fastest lap, a one-two finish, fastest pit stop and leading first and second in the championship,” said Team Principal Christian Horner. “So yeah, it’s an amazing performance here, and one we are very proud of, particularly in Japan, the home of our engine partner, Honda.”