For those of us who have watched motor racing for more than twenty years the concept of the pit stop has changed to the extent that is almost unbelievable. For us a pit stop appeared to be a leisurely affair but in fact was quite quick at around 2 minutes because of the technology, or lack of it, involved.
We all remember the hammers and the lugs on the wheel nuts with hefty mechanics belting away, removing a heavy wire spoked wheel and tyre and then replacing it with another. In those days two mechanics with a lift jack at the front or rear did the job. And nobody cared very much because a pit stop of that length in a four hour grand prix was not totally significant when so many other problems of reliability were more likely to crop up.
Red Bull, however, have linked up with David Coulthard and the film company he owns, Whisper Films, to produce a superb history of the pit stop. May sound boring but you will sitting up and listening when that great engineer and designer Gordon Murray starts to speak for it was he who totally transformed the concept of the pit stop leading to the remarkable stops we see today with Williams, for example setting a new record earlier this season in under 2 seconds !
But rather than explain this, call up this fascinating 45 minute documentary called “ The History of the Pit Stop” using the link below. You will not be disappointed.
http://www.redbull.tv/video/AP-1P6BWQ9JS1W11/the-history-of-the-pit-stop