Having dominated the pit stops throughout the opening 4 rounds, Ferrari continued the place it left off, recording the quickest tyre service finally Sunday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
After Bahrain, Method 1 moved on to Jeddah within the neighboring nation of Saudi Arabia, the place the drivers and groups had been equally challenged by the excessive temperatures. The race developed into an energy-sapping check of power through which Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc secured his first podium end of the yr.
Beginning the race from fourth place, Leclerc remained inside hanging distance of George Russell within the Mercedes. Though the Monegasque was unable to get entangled within the battle for victory on the day, he was no less than capable of deprive Russell of third place. And his pit crew actually performed their half.
Mercedes determined to alter from medium to laborious tires for Russell as early as lap 20. Leclerc become the pit lane 9 laps later because the final driver nonetheless out on mediums. The Ferrari crew fitted his automobile with laborious tires in precisely 2.0 seconds, claiming the DHL Quickest Pit Cease and on the identical time beating their very own report set within the 2025 Chinese language Grand Prix.
Again on the observe, Leclerc used his more energizing tires to good impact, snatching a primary podium end of the yr with P3. “We did the right race,” stated Leclerc afterwards. “Technique good, pit stops good once more.” The 27-year-old was much more effusive in his reward for the Ferrari pit crew: “The mechanics are doing an unimaginable job. We’ve been dominating the pit cease battle because the starting of the season, all due to the laborious work they’ve finished.”
Leclerc’s 2.0-second cease was not solely the quickest of the Jeddah race, however the whole season to this point. Curiously, Ferrari recorded the second-fastest tyre change as properly once they serviced Lewis Hamilton in simply 2.07s.
The Maranello-based outfit stole a march on the remainder of the sector as Mercedes accomplished the third-quickest cease, nevertheless it took 2.32s for the Brackley-based squad. Kick Sauber continued its battle for tempo in Jeddah, however the Hinwil-based outift’s mechanics had been fast within the pit lane, having accomplished the fourth-quickest cease (2.36s).
Curiously, aside from Ferrari, groups had been comparatively gradual within the pit lane in Jeddah, having did not ship the fast stops they normally do, with solely 9 stops having taken lower than three seconds.
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