Pit stops and the pit lane

A pit stop is when a car comes into the pit lane during a race, usually to change tyres. A well-drilled crew can swap all four wheels in about 2 seconds. Most of the time lost in a stop isn't the stop itself but the drive through the pit lane at a limited speed, which typically costs 20 to 25 seconds compared with staying out on track.

There's no refuelling in F1. Cars start the race with all the fuel they'll need, and it's been that way since 2010. So a pit stop is about tyres, and sometimes about replacing a damaged front wing.

#How the pit lane is laid out

The pit lane runs alongside the main straight, with each team's garage opening onto it. It has two parts:

• The fast lane, nearest the pit wall, which cars use to drive through.
• The inner lane, in front of the garages, where cars stop and the crew works on them.

Each team has a fixed pit box in front of its garage. Garages are traditionally arranged in order of the previous year's constructors' standings, so the champions sit at one end of the pit lane and the last-placed team at the other.

Cars enter at the pit entry and leave at the pit exit. Both have lines painted on the track that drivers mustn't cross when coming in or going out. Crossing the pit exit line during a race usually earns a 5 or 10-second penalty, more if it was dangerous. A red and green light at the end of the pit lane controls when cars can leave, and a blue light warns drivers leaving the pits if other cars are coming on track.

#The speed limit

The pit lane speed limit is 80 km/h at most circuits. The race director can lower it where the pit lane is narrow, such as at Monaco. Drivers press a pit limiter button as they cross the speed-limit line, which holds the car at the right speed.

Speeding in the race is punished by how much the driver went over:

In practice and qualifying, speeding gets the team a fine of €100 per km/h over the limit, up to €1,000.

#What happens in a stop

A modern pit stop involves around 20 people:

• Three mechanics on each wheel: one with the wheel gun to undo and tighten the single wheel nut, one to pull the old wheel off, one to put the new one on.
• A front jack and a rear jack operator to lift the car.
• People to steady the car and, if needed, adjust the front wing angle.
• Someone in charge of the release. Most teams now use a light system in front of the driver that turns green once all four wheel guns have signalled they're done.

The car comes to a stop on its marks, the jacks go up, the wheels are changed and the car is dropped and released. McLaren hold the record for the fastest stop: 1.80 seconds, for Lando Norris at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix.

Everyone working on the car must wear a helmet and eye protection. Each team also has to fit an FIA camera directly above its pit box so the stewards can review every stop.

Teams can't use powered lifting devices, paint lines in the pit lane or try to improve the grip of the surface. They're allowed to sweep it or dry it.

#Unsafe releases

A team mustn't send its car out of the pit box into the path of another car, or in a way that puts the crew or anyone else in danger. This is an unsafe release. During a race the usual penalty is 5 or 10 seconds, or a drive-through. If the stewards think the driver was partly to blame (by ignoring something they could clearly see), they can add penalty points too.

There's a separate offence of releasing a car in an unsafe condition, most often with a wheel that hasn't been properly fitted. That carries a stop-and-go penalty, and an extra penalty if the driver keeps going knowing the car isn't safe. If the car has to retire because of it, the team can be fined instead. All cars carry wheel tethers so a loose wheel can't fly off, but a wheel coming free in the pit lane can still hurt someone.

#Double stacking

When both of a team's cars come in on the same lap, one has to wait behind the other in the inner lane while its team-mate is serviced. This is called double stacking. It's risky: if anything goes wrong with the first stop, the second car loses time too. Teams usually only do it when there's a big reason, such as a safety car that makes stopping cheap.

#When drivers can't pit

The pit entry is sometimes closed, usually because there's an accident close to it. Drivers can only come in to fix obvious and essential damage. Coming in for any other reason while it's closed is a stop-and-go penalty.

Under the safety car and the virtual safety car, the pit lane stays open, but drivers can only come in to change tyres.

#Serving penalties in the pits

Some penalties are served in the pit lane. A drive-through means driving the length of the pit lane at the speed limit without stopping. A stop-and-go means stopping in the pit box for 10 seconds with nobody touching the car. Time penalties of 5 or 10 seconds can either be served at the next pit stop (the crew must wait before touching the car) or added to the driver's race time at the end. You'll find the full list in types of penalties.

For how teams decide when to stop and how many times, see pit stop strategy.