Christian Horner is expecting longer pit stops in 2022
As an express pit stop specialist, Red Bull expects all teams in the paddock to be slowed down by the heavier weight of the cars.
The new technical regulations for this season have significantly increased the weight of the 2022 Formula 1 cars. They have gone from 752kgs last year to 795kgs. This increase is largely due to the improved safety measures of the cars, as well as the switch to 18-inch tires. Let’s not forget the possible additional 3kgs that the FIA could approve.
At Red Bull, pit stops are extremely fast. In fact, they set the record for the fastest time at 1.82s during the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix. However, for Horner, the team’s director, the times should be longer this season, and this applies to the whole paddock.
“The pit stops have been slightly slowed down,” explained Christian Horner to F1 TV. “The tires are heavier, obviously, with the wheel rim now. So I highly doubt we can do stops under two seconds, but I hope we’ll be close to two seconds, which would be really solid. Luckily, our rear jackman, Olaf, is one of the tallest and strongest in the team, being a big and strong South African, because we need some muscle to lift these cars,” Horner declares.
A time of adjustment for the pilots.
The Brit also reminds us that cars can be tricky for drivers. Just as many have mentioned, the heavier weight of the cars requires an adjustment in the driver’s approach to handling.
« The cars are massive, they’re like boats, especially in slow turns,” he admits. « They weigh almost 800kgs, which is 50kgs more than last year, they are bigger and longer. But in high-speed turns, they are just as fast, if not faster. The big difference is in slow turns, as there is more time to lose than in a high-speed turn. Of course, the drivers will have to adapt to the characteristics of these cars, the downforce, the new rules, but it’s impressive to see how quickly these drivers adapt,” the British man confides.
As for the modifications observed this Saturday morning in Bahrain, they appear to satisfy the pilots, especially Sergio Pérez, who was the first to test them.
“He seems to be satisfied with the car’s features, and the lap time at this hour is reasonable,” says Horner. “But it remains very difficult to draw conclusions, all we can do is stay focused on our program. And we’re just working on gathering data from the drivers’ feedback, and everything seems to be performing as we hoped,” reveals the team principal of Red Bull.
