In the time it has taken you to read this sentence, teams will already be close to changing an entire set of tyres on an F1 car. Formula 1 pit stops truly are a sight to behold.

Some of the world’s best mechanics complete a highly orchestrated choreography that somehow sees 42kg of rubber lifted off and replaced with a fresh set within seconds.

Such is the highly competitive nature of pit stops, something like three seconds can be seen as a slow stop and anything nearing 10 seconds is an unmitigated disaster.

While such a small amount of time may not seem like a lot in the outside world, it is crucial in the world of F1 where races of positions can be won or lost by a matter of seconds. Quick pit stops are also key in ensuring you come out ahead of your rival, especially if you are going for an overcut.

Red Bull have become the undisputed kings of the pit stop, recording the fastest every year since 2018 and also the fastest in history at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix when Max Verstappen’s tyres were changed in a quite frankly ridiculous 1.82 seconds. McLaren also broke the two-second mark in Mexico last year.

But this season, it is so far Ferrari who have been on top. At least they are good at something…

What are the 10 fastest pit stop times so far in F1 2023?

After six races, Ferrari are the ones to beat with 2.10 seconds for Charles Leclerc at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix being the quickest pit stop of the year so far. But their lead is not a strong one with Red Bull just one hundredth behind with Sergio Perez at the Australian Grand Prix.

Red Bull were also on fire during the Monaco Grand Prix weekend, with stops for Perez and Max Verstappen two of the three fastest stops during the race. Perez’s swap from mediums to intermediates took just 2.15 seconds, while Verstappen’s stop took 2.43 seconds – the duo split by Ferrari’s stop for Charles Leclerc, which was 2.24 seconds.

Red Bull and Ferrari now dominate the top 10 fastest stops for 2023, with each team putting in some of their best work during the Monaco GP.

In terms of averages, it’s Alpine who are closest to the two leading teams, followed by Mercedes.

Here is the top 10 list in full:

1. Ferrari – Leclerc – Saudi Arabia – 2.10

2. Red Bull – Perez – Australia – 2.11

3. Red Bull – Perez – Monaco – 2.15

4. Ferrari – Sainz – Miami – 2.21

5. Ferrari – Leclerc – Bahrain – 2.22

6. Ferrari – Leclerc – Monaco – 2.24

7. Red Bull – Verstappen – Bahrain – 2.25

8. Red Bull – Perez – Miami – 2.27

9. Red Bull – Perez – Azerbaijan – 2.30

10. Ferrari – Sainz – Bahrain – 2.31

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F1 pit stop standings

As well as being measured by their times, it is also a battle for consistency with the teams being awarded points in the pit stop standings, through F1 sponsors DHL. While these points do not contribute to their Constructor standings, topping this table will see you rewarded with your own trophy.

The scoring system is the same as the race itself with the constructor behind the fastest pit stop of a Grand Prix awarded 25 points while the second gets 18 and so on.

After six races, it is Ferrari, who were the inaugural winners back in 2015, who lead the way, and have a slender five-point lead over Red Bull.

Alpine are next up on the list ahead of Mercedes and AlphaTauri, who move back ahead of McLaren courtesy of a 2.6 second stop for Nyck de Vries in Monaco.

Aston Martin climbs up to seventh after a stronger showing in Monaco, ahead of Williams and Alfa Romeo while Haas round out the top 10.

Here are the top 10 standings in full:

1. Ferrari – 162

2. Red Bull – 157

3. Alpine – 92

4. Mercedes – 56

5. AlphaTauri – 38

6. McLaren – 37

7. Aston Martin – 26

8. Williams – 18

9. Alfa Romeo – 16

10. Haas – 4

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