Stake F1 Team will relook at its pit stop procedure after double trouble of cross-threading in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
During the winter, Stake F1 Team changed things around its pit stop especially the equipment. The crew and mechanics are not doing things differently per se but the new parts led to slow stops both in Bahrain and even in Saudi Arabia.
It was Valtteri Bottas who faced issues in the former, while Zhou Guanyu was at the receiving end in the latter – both were diagnosed as same issues. “I think it’s clear that still we’re not where we want to be,” said Xevi Pujolar to media. “And we need to do some further changes for Melbourne. Because we are too fragile, I would say.
“It’s nothing wrong with the crew, with mechanics, they are doing I would say a reasonable job. But we had a problem again. So we just need to now investigate and try to come up with some containment for the next race, just to be more robust. We are causing a cross thread. And it takes time, because we have to change the wheel nut.”
Stake F1 Team has investigated into the problem and will work between Saudi Arabia and Australia to chuck out the problems. “First of all, for me, it’s very important to say that was not the mistake of our mechanics or crew, they are doing a really good job,” said Alessandro Alunni Bravi to media.
“We know that we have a problem, we have an issue that has been the same in Bahrain on Valtteri’s car, and this time on Zhou’s car. So we have investigated, and we are working to fix this problem as soon as possible. And we are revising the parts in order to not have this problem again in the next races.
“We have new equipment, we have a new design of all the parts. Of course, there is something that needs to be improved. And we are working in all the areas with a 360 degree approach in order to have a consistent pit stop, a quick pit stop, but also to not have any kind of problem.
“For us it’s crucial now because we have had this problem in the last two races. So we cannot afford to have an issue during the races, because the potential of the car is there to fight for the points. And we have of course jeopardised this opportunity both in Bahrain and in Jeddah because of an issue. It’s something on our side that we have investigated, and we are working to fix.”
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