Opinions of pit stop car lifter favourite

[jjn9128]

Looks like a solution searching for a problem. The current system works as well as is required and any replacement is unlikely to result in a shorter race-elapsed time. Ergo, it's pointless to waste resources on it. A bit like this thread, really...

Examine this from the opposite side though and it could make sense - Indycar/Le Mans/WEC limit the number of personnel permitted in the pits for a tyre change for safety. Currently in F1 there are something like 16-18 mechanics in the pits to just change 4 tyres and clean slot gaps/air ducts - 3 per wheel/ 2 stabilizing the car/ 2 to change flap angle/ front and rear jack plus spares/ the chief mechanic watching the pit lane to release the car. This is potentially a source of danger. We had Raikkonen break a mechanic's leg not too long ago and numerous cases of the wheel gun guys (down on their knees so unable to jump out the way) and front jackmen being run over. So while it's super impressive to see 4 tyres swapped in ~2 seconds there could also be an argument which says it's introducing an unnecessary risk into races - at which point an onboard lifting system becomes an attractive alternative.

[kalinka]

Not only risk, but longer pitstops with fewer mechanics are also way more entertaining. F1 freaks like me could see way more detail on the cars and what and how they are doing it when there are less people obstructing the view. With less people doing more, there is a higher possibility for errors and extraordinary performances. Currenlty the pitstop differences are less than a second..too small a difference to make it exciting. I like the length and feel of excitement in Indycar pitstops most. I'd like to be back to 5-6sec stops. The airjack is irrelevant in this, just limit the number of mechanics to 6 and that's it.

[Just_a_fan]

The high speed nature of the F1 pit stops is what brings the risk of things going wrong and adds pressure to the mechanics. When pit stops are car off the ground for 2-3 seconds any mistake is a big increase in time lost. A bad wheel nut doubles or trebles the "time in the air" and thus ruins the stop and potentially costs points. If pit stops take 15-20 seconds, a second or two lost to a bad wheel nut is much less of an issue.

[kalinka]

Well, that's the theory...but currenlty a stuck wheel causes usually 0.5-1sec delay because there are two people/wheel, so the mechanic with a wheel gun doesn't have to put down the gun to re-adjust the things, so mistakes are corrected very fast. I don't want 15-20sec stops, but a good old 5-7sec would be better - with less people around. Then an error could cost you 3-4secs. Cars would be equally fast, so other drivers could leap you more easily in case of a mistake...but I understand your point too

[Jolle]

I love the sub-2 second pitstops. It's one of those things that sets F1 apart from other championships.

[hollus]

The high speed nature of the F1 pit stops is what brings the risk of things going wrong and adds pressure to the mechanics. When pit stops are car off the ground for 2-3 seconds any mistake is a big increase in time lost. A bad wheel nut doubles or trebles the "time in the air" and thus ruins the stop and potentially costs points. If pit stops take 15-20 seconds, a second or two lost to a bad wheel nut is much less of an issue.

That's an interesting perception fallacy. That 2 second error might double your stop time in one case and add 15% in the other case.
But losing 2 seconds in a 3 second pit stop will make you lose 2 seconds relative to the competition, while losing 2 seconds in a 15 second pit stop will make you lose 2 seconds relative to the competition, exactly the same in terms of track position.

[Just_a_fan]

The high speed nature of the F1 pit stops is what brings the risk of things going wrong and adds pressure to the mechanics. When pit stops are car off the ground for 2-3 seconds any mistake is a big increase in time lost. A bad wheel nut doubles or trebles the "time in the air" and thus ruins the stop and potentially costs points. If pit stops take 15-20 seconds, a second or two lost to a bad wheel nut is much less of an issue.

That's an interesting perception fallacy. That 2 second error might double your stop time in one case and add 15% in the other case.
But losing 2 seconds in a 3 second pit stop will make you lose 2 seconds relative to the competition, while losing 2 seconds in a 15 second pit stop will make you lose 2 seconds relative to the competition, exactly the same in terms of track position.

Yes, but if the stop is because of a tyre problem or during a safety car / not during a safety car, the error compounds. If you take your stop just before the safety car and I take mine during the safety car, I've just gained a huge advantage over you if pit stops take 15 seconds, even allowing for no errors. Add an error to your stop and you're out of contention.